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I have also found the formulations of the late Yasuo Yuasa to be of help (The Body (SUNY press). In his view, a profound division between dominant forms of thought in the West and Japan has to do with how disembodimentı is characterized. In his view of traditional Chinese and Japanese thought, there is an existential condition of alienation from the body. But that is not a metaphysical alienation but one to be transcended by the cultivation of sensibility in meditation, martial arts, flower arrangement, etc. By contrast, Western thinkers tend to think of the alienation as a metaphysical reality, not considering the impact of transformative practices on these categories. Best, Don Don Hanlon Johnson, PhD www.donhanlonjohnson.com Professor of Somatics School of Professional Psychology On 8/11/11 8:58 AM, "John Gilbert Ph.D." <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hello Adrian > > It seems to me that > 1) a disembodied attitude is "la condition humaine" and > 1b) in our consciousness (or phenomenologically) we cannot be anything else > then alienatiated or disembodied - for instance: anticipation is disembodied > or alienation per definition > 2) it does reminds me also of Marx' alienation which I had to study long > time ago > 3) the idea of embodiment itself is an idealisation / a "forstellung" / a > representation what it should have to be if there was no condition humaine > (1) > 3b) the idea of embodiment is a scientific reflection, for instance we know > how gestalt works (perception) which is subject of science, but we do not > actually experience or appreciate a perception gestaltwise. > > Anyway - what comes to mind when reading your question. > > Kind regards > > John > > (Bruges - Belgium) > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Adrian Harris" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 3:40 PM > Subject: Terminology: Embodied - Disembodied > > > Hi, > > I'm working on a book chapter at the moment and have a question about > terminology. Although 'embodiment' is an aspect of human subjectivity > rather than a fact of physical reality, what does it mean to speak of > being disembodied? Does it make sense to say, for example, ³Western > civilization creates a more disembodied self'? One can armust be embodied to > exist, in which case this needs to be phrased > differently - something like: "[t]he experience the self has been > essentially disembodied" (Burkitt, 'Bodies of Thought', 1999; 45). > > This does mean composing quite convoluted sentences, so I'm interested > in how other people have tackled this. > > Cheers! > Adrian