Conceptions of the relationship between mind and body vary across cultures: Discuss with detailed reference to ethnographic examples

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

4 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/12/2009

Category :

Political science

Sub category :

Social sciences

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Summary :

Introduction
The role of Christianism
The two kinds of holism within the non-Western cultures
Impact of technological improvements
Conclusion
Bibliography

Abstract

Having an insight on our personal perception of the body and mind, relationship is often revealing. Since I was a child, I strongly felt 'something' in my body. While practicing dance, I had the feeling that 'I' controlled my body, that 'I' decided the movements 'I' wanted to do. I used to say 'my arms', 'my legs' and 'my head' as if they were separated from me. Referring to my body parts is reifying them, assuming that they are objects 'I' own.

Obviously, I could not define this 'I', but it had definitely nothing to do with my body. As Bordo (1993) argued ''[my] body was experienced as an alien''. The body and mind issue is crucial in our society for several reasons. Firstly, it questions our very essence as human beings, and secondly, this division has built our modern society, since the 17th century. Questioning the relationship between body and mind is questioning the shift between nature and culture, the difference between humans and animals, but also the idea of life after 'material death', for example. However, is this Western view of the body and mind issue shared across cultures? To gain a better understanding of this problem, it seems crucial to define more precisely the philosophical roots of Western dualism that led to the necessity to look at other conceptions.