http://www.animystic.org.uk/2010/02/05/the-sanctity-of-language/ exploring a living world Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:10:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 http://www.animystic.org.uk/2010/02/05/the-sanctity-of-language/comment-page-1/#comment-119 Adam Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:41:56 +0000 http://www.animystic.org.uk/?p=213#comment-119 The issue with dualism is that that is how people experience the world, at such a fundamental level that it is per-verbal and probably pre-conscious (in the awareness sense of the word). So any discussion has to acknowledge this and any analysis has to take that into account. But I think Strawson is right to start with the proposition of 'experience'. I must read the book. I've been trying to break down my thinking in this area as a series of semi-axiomatic principles and corollaries and my starting point has always been that 'there is an experience' as the one true a priori... but that the experience of duality comes into being at the level of the experience of experience. The issue with dualism is that that is how people experience the world, at such a fundamental level that it is per-verbal and probably pre-conscious (in the awareness sense of the word). So any discussion has to acknowledge this and any analysis has to take that into account. But I think Strawson is right to start with the proposition of ‘experience’. I must read the book. I’ve been trying to break down my thinking in this area as a series of semi-axiomatic principles and corollaries and my starting point has always been that ‘there is an experience’ as the one true a priori… but that the experience of duality comes into being at the level of the experience of experience.

]]> http://www.animystic.org.uk/2010/02/05/the-sanctity-of-language/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Greg Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:19:52 +0000 http://www.animystic.org.uk/?p=213#comment-118 Yes Adam, Jaynes is a different definition of consciousness. As a result of comments on different fora where the original idea has been raised I'm becoming convinced that the best word to use, in order to avoid confusion, is 'experience' for what Strawson proposes. Our ability as humans to construct abstract, metaphorical and other fabulations has enabled us to do many things, though it comes at a cost (see my recent 'Philosopher and the Wolf' blog on Hill's Chronicle). The dualism you note also leads to a dualistic sense of body and soul as distinct entities. Something which some versions of panpsychism would reinforce, but which Strawson is, I think, trying to avoid. Which is what makes his proposition so interesting. He is saying to his fellow materialists: "you gotta believe this"! Yes Adam, Jaynes is a different definition of consciousness. As a result of comments on different fora where the original idea has been raised I’m becoming convinced that the best word to use, in order to avoid confusion, is ‘experience’ for what Strawson proposes. Our ability as humans to construct abstract, metaphorical and other fabulations has enabled us to do many things, though it comes at a cost (see my recent ‘Philosopher and the Wolf’ blog on Hill’s Chronicle). The dualism you note also leads to a dualistic sense of body and soul as distinct entities. Something which some versions of panpsychism would reinforce, but which Strawson is, I think, trying to avoid. Which is what makes his proposition so interesting. He is saying to his fellow materialists: “you gotta believe this”!

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