Rahul Malaney Phil

The Problem of Dualism

Everyday I am amazed at how much of a role our societies cognitive structure affects the way we live. It is only in the last one year that I seriously began to question its effects on my life. Being exposed to the material in the class catalyzed the critical process. This connection can be made in a number of examples over a broad range of subjects. With that context in mind this paper intends to focus on the western concept of dualism and the problem associated with it. But more importantly I will concentrate on the holistic solution that can be absorbed from the teachings of Confucius. Through this process we will identify the way in which these philosophical concepts can be employed to create a positive effect on our lives; as the Confucian would insist that any knowledge worth claiming should create some real time value. The Western idea of dualism has been a prominent element of western philosophy since its introduction by Rene Descartes in his Meditations. This concept can be interpreted in the context of a number of cultures and philosophies. I intend to use this term in reference to the primarily western ideas such as mind and body

dualism, and object and reality dualism. Believers of this view ascertain that the mind and body like the relationship between object and reality are two ontologically distinct components and do not act upon each other in an orderly fashion. This perspective demands no connection between the agent and their experience to the extent that we must consider our most basic method of knowing. If no reliable connection exists between our mind and body, how are we to appropriately interpret the incredible quantity of sensory information absorbed by our body from the experiences in our environment? The danger associated with the adoption of this view should be

immediately noticeable. In the same way a disassociation between the object and its reality evokes an incomprehensible quantity issues with the accuracy of all the information, which we believe and depend upon being true. The habit of dualism can also be interpreted in the context of the relationship between ethics and aesthetics. In his book John Dewey, Confucius and Global Philosophy, Joseph Grange intellectually

demonstrates the fusion of the Dewian ethical and the Confucian aesthetic in a process coined felt intelligence. This balance bridges the gap between the dualisms, simultaneously representing their individuality and unification. Finally, we must apply this ideology to the duality that characterizes the eastern and western way of thinking. Through this process we will identify the role that felt intelligence plays

in provide a common ground which offers both societies with a shared, holistic perspective on the cultivation of ones own life. Granger nor I are in any way suggesting a descriptive account of the issues associated with these dualisms, we are more interested in providing a prescriptive ideal that may present a more valuable and harmonious state of humanity. As Granger notices, woman and men in the field of philosophy are generally not comfortable with considering their feelings. This may be because they have the ability to be extremely volatile and hard to control at times. In addition to this we are unaware of their origin and at he same time certainly aware that they play a deeply influential role in constructing our lives. This simple reason should illuminate the importance of focusing on this mysterious force, instead most western philosophers ignore its presence. Although one thing is certain, weather ones perception originates in the East or West, the way we feel is our individual reaction to the current environment and an adoption of a clearer understanding into our method of living would be highly conducive. In a general way of speaking, the west has utilized a scientific based method of gathering information. Many philosophers in this part of the world including Dewey hold a sincere sense of trust in this perspective of inquiry. At the same time Dewey was aware of its limitations and even sensed the diabolical long-term result of its

exclusive employment. In an act to integrate these perceived conflicting lenses, Dewey leaves us with a far more holistic system, which incorporates the familiar advantages of the scientific method of inquiry and the aesthetic value of experience so prominent in Confucian thought. To expound on this relationship we must introduce the Deweyian concepts of instrumental experience and Cosumatory experience. An instrumental experience could be any organic experience, which provides an opportunity for learning. Individual success is seen as the extent of change within the individual in response to the nature of their experience. This involves identifying the various dimensions of the problem and its connections to past and future situations; once it is understood in the particular context, reasoning is display the details in a way that their experiential meaning come to the for in a compelling manner(page 34). But fixing the problem is not the ultimate goal of inquiry; the common sense derived from the instrumental experience must persist itself in a consumatory experience if should culminate in any valuable meaning. The process of inquiry might provide a solution to the problem, but it lacks a fulfilling element that the consumatory experience contributes. This valuable contribution is largely made by the function of the aesthetic in the consumatory experience. By interpreting the experiential meaning through an aesthetic lens we are persuaded to

address the presence of a pervasive whole (page 41). This analysis is wholly based on the individuals ability to sense the state of harmony and appropriateness which characterizes the Confuciun view of wholeness and interconnectedness. In order to bring this experience to the next level it must manifest itself within the community because What we do as a community is always more powerful than what is done alone (page 34) The attainment of this balance is the primary goal of the fusion between the Instrumental and consummatory, and Ethic and Aesthetic alike. The nature of our ever changing of the cosmos poses an impossible task for the exclusive use of Ethics and Aesthetics. We can comprehend this by understanding the characteristics of these values and how they function in the critical process. Ethics can be described as having more of an instrumental and cognitive role in our lives. This can provides us with a great wealth of ideal prescriptive states that the community expects will instigate balance. Unfortunately this also means that the prescription be consistent and inflexible to the varying nature of new experiences. How is one to apply this abstract concept effectively in order to achieve the desired result? To expect ethics to provide the necessary insight required to induce a truly meaningful experience from every new experience should make us question if we are dealing with accurate descriptions of the cosmos and the concept of ethics.

Aesthetics exists in a completely contrasting realm, it represents a visceral tool that utilizes the lessons leant through instrumental intelligence and helps us adapt the abstract ideals of ethics to the infinite possibilities of life. It achieves this by adding a sense of

beautifully fitting and appropriateness to the experience. Combining form and function and erases the separation between the dualities to construct a holistic understanding which allows us to access an extensive range of possible situations and achieve a much higher level of meaning. In this way Aesthetics provides the necessary feeling of wholeness that intelligence requires in order to direct its efforts toward instrumentally effective ends in view (page 48)

In an ever, changing world we require the aid of feeling, thinking and doing to appropriately interpret and utilize the conditions of ones immediate environment. Aside from being the fundamental connection we share with our environment, feeling is a tool that allows us to create a sense of equilibrium in a situation. Although the application of this tool might seem alien when talking about issues regarding critical processing, one might find it easier identify its relevance in

appreciating Art. Art represents one of the few areas of inquiry which we are expected to utilize our aesthetic sense to interpret its meaning. When we examine a piece of art or music, at first we undoubtedly

employ instrumental tools to observe its elements and identify its content by connecting it with past experiences. But unlike most other areas of knowing, we allocate more emphasis on the individual reaction we have to the visual or auditory experience. This reaction can only be seen as the natural feeling we have towards the subject matter. Our brain cells spark millions of connections which allows the emotions from previous experiences to resurface and coagulate with the emotions that arise from the current experience. Ideally, this

would result in the creation of new meaning that saturates the individual with a deep sense of satisfaction. As we have seen Art represents an aesthetically oriented foundation, but to absorb any value from this exercise we must attempt to apply this structure to the other areas of knowing. Consider the example of the ancient shamanic tribes of the Peruvian Amazon. These deeply spiritual people have been utilizing the hallucinogenic properties of the native Ayahuasca plant for religious and medicinal purposes over hundreds of generation over thousands of years. They sincerely believe that the visions they experience allow them to become one with nature and perceive the true state of the Universe. In addition to this they observe a heightened level of mental and physical strength as well as a process of spiritual growth resulting from participating in these experiences. Unfortunately, the active chemical in ayahuasca, which is responsible for the divine effect, is

Dimethyltryptamine, commonly known as DMT. This substance was categorized as a schedule 1 drug by the United nations and United states in response to the wide spread irresponsible and recreational use by the counter culture population of the 1970s. Implicating that the substance has no medical purposes and that any person caught possessing, selling or ingesting the herb would be given a maximum sentence of fifteen years in prison. Unlike inquiry in ethics, feeling in aesthetics has no preconceived end result other than the expectation of excavating meaning. Therefore it allows us to analyze the value of the experience in the particular context and bring to light the meaning that unites art and observer. Although at this stage, the observer is at least as much a part of the critical process as the artist. This genuine involvement that the individual is engaged in is responsible for providing meaning that is constructed around and only for the purpose of this particular individual, in this particular situation. The person is holistically participating in the experience. Understandably Dewey does not put much emphasis on the concept of thinking; a significant amount of inquiry has been carried out on the subject. It is generally known to efficiently attain methods to achieve a preconceived end.

Dewey was a lot more interested in the act of doing as it is

seemingly the most critical factor for the success of the process. This is because he believes that To do is to grow in meaning (page 46) and meaning is understood as being brought about by changes in the patterned connections that make up situations. (page 46) Therefore doing entails some sort of change in the way

Sources-

Grange, Joseph. John Dewey, Confucius, and Global Philosophy. Albany: State University of New York, 2004. Print.
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