The intimate connexion : bodily awareness and bodily agency
This thesis examines the relation between bodily awareness and bodily agency. Descartesâs observation that we are not in our bodies as pilots in vessels suggests two thoughts about the special role of the body in experience and agency. The first is that we experience our bodies âfrom the insideâ and not just as one more material body amongst other material objects of perception (Feeling). The second is that we are able to act with our bodies in ways in which we are not with any other bodies or objects (Direct Control). My goal is to articulate the proper relationship between Feeling and Direct Control. There are three broad options: they are independent (Independence); Feeling is because of Direct Control (Enaction); and Direct Control is because of Feeling (Necessity). Independence cannot make sense of the rational role of experience in guiding action. Finding Independence unsatisfactory is the force of intuition toward articulating some kind of intimate connexion between bodily awareness and bodily agency. Enaction is subject to counterexamples from paralysed subjects, pain in body parts (such as internal organs) that we cannot act with, and double dissociations between bodily awareness and bodily
Wong, H. Y.
The intimate connexion : bodily awareness and bodily agency. This thesis examines the relation between bodily awareness and bodily agency. Descartesâs observation that we are not in our bodies as pilots in vessels suggests two thoughts about the special role of the body in experience and agency. The first is that we experience our bodies âfrom the insideâ and not just as one more material body amongst other material objects of perception (Feeling). The second is that we are able to act with our bodies in ways in which we are not with any other bodies or objects (Direct Control). My goal is to articulate the proper relationship between Feeling and Direct Control. There are three broad options: they are independent (Independence); Feeling is because of Direct Control (Enaction); and Direct Control is because of Feeling (Necessity). Independence cannot make sense of the rational role of experience in guiding action. Finding Independence unsatisfactory is the force of intuition toward articulating some kind of intimate connexion between bodily awareness and bodily agency. Enaction is subject to counterexamples from paralysed subjects, pain in body parts (such as internal organs) that we cannot act with, and double dissociations between bodily awareness and bodily
intimate connexion bodily awareness bodily agency examines relation bodily awareness bodily agency descartes observation body pilot vessel suggest thought special role body experience agency first experience body inside material body amongst material_object perception feeling second able act body way body object direct_control goal articulate proper relationship feeling direct_control three_broad option independent independence feeling direct_control direct_control feeling necessity independence make_sense rational role experience guide action finding independence unsatisfactory force intuition toward articulate kind intimate connexion bodily awareness bodily agency subject counterexample subject pain body_part internal organ act double dissociation bodily awareness bodily