Hello again Michael-
I like this format of writing to you. It feels like I am leaving you notes on the refrigerator.
In terms of the prompt you gave us, all about embodiment of reason and rejection of the dualism of “mind” and “body”, I find that I agree in many ways and disagree in few. I do find that many problems have arisen from the separation of mind and body in the philosophy of the past. But I cannot agree that the mind is entirely composed of the body. In a very nuanced sense, I believe the mind operates on a principle of emergence: as a result of all the tiny cells, or even atoms in our bodies working, together they form a consciousness (basically the point of the article). However, I would add that once the consciousness reaches a level of self-awareness or meta-awareness, then it is no longer just the sum of it’s parts but has some additional quality not present in its parts.
I wonder also if the mind-body split is not an innate state but a learned behavior, just like the “embodied” state can be learned. Perhaps the mind-body connection is malleable, and depending on the environment of the subject it shifts.
Do you listen to Radiolab, Michael? It’s a sort of holistic, science/art radio show on NPR that explores some of these concepts.
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/
I think you would really like the episodes called Emergence and Where Am I?.
Zak
Zak Houston 