生存美学是福柯个人生活、思想创造和著述实践的指导原则。福柯一生所关怀的基本问题，始终是我们自身的生活命运；为此，他既要探讨我们自身存在的现状及其历史原因，又要寻求我们自身实现自由的审美生存的出路。福柯的思想对哲学、史学、文学、法学、社会学、政治学等学科产生了很大影响，这与他所受的多重思想影响的泽溉是分不开的。梳理福柯思想渊源对于探讨福柯的生存美学以及理解福柯思想的发生和演变至关重要。福柯的一系列关于死亡、体验、梦及精神病等独特的概念体现了其生存美学的核心是关怀自身，同时体现了福柯审美的生存的重心以及不断摆脱传统主体性的束缚，实现自身审美生存的独特方式。福柯的生存美学 (l’esthétique de l’existence)是他长期进行知识考古学 (l’archéologie du savoir) 以及权力和道德系谱学 (la généalogie du pouvoir et de la morale) 研究的直接成果，也是他自身生活历程的经验总结和实践智慧 (phronesis) 的结晶，同时又是他在探索西方思想源头和批判古希腊罗马时代原有生存美学古代版本的基础上，为了彻底摆脱近代西方思想及其社会制度的约束，根据现代生活条件而创造性地设计出来的新型的自由生活方式 (une nouvelle manière de vivre)。

Foucault’s aesthetics of Existence, though appeared as a concept in his late years, was the logical result of his long-term archeological and genealogical research. It is, in reality, the guideline of his life, creating thought, and writing practice.The key concept of Aesthetics of Existence, care for one’s own self, reflects not only the consistent principle of Foucault’s life practice, but also embodies typically the core of the Aesthetics of Existence. That is, to get rid of constantly the traditional restraint of subjectivity principle and to realize one’s own joyful pleasure of Aesthetic transgression and transcendence.The research on those profound philosophy propositions can help the thinkers in the new century to draw nutrient of ideas from Michel Foucault, to answer the various complicated living problems that are brought forward to scholars by this continuously changing world.