Recovering the Body: A Philosophical Story by Carol Collier PDF

Following the metaphysical and epistemological threads that experience resulted in our smooth notion of the physique as a computing device, the booklet explores perspectives of the physique within the heritage of philosophy. Its valuable thesis is that the Cartesian paradigm, which has ruled the trendy belief of the physique (including the improvement and perform of medicine), bargains an incomplete or even faulty photograph. This photograph has turn into a reductio advert absurdum, which, via such present developments because the perform of maximum physique amendment, and futuristic visions of downloading awareness into machines, could lead on to the disappearance of the organic physique. proposing Spinoza’s philosophy of the physique because the street no longer undefined, the writer asks what Spinoza might reflect on a few of our modern physique visions. It additionally appears to be like to 2 extra holistic ways to the physique that provide wish of improving its precise which means: the perform of yoga and replacement medication. The metaphysical research is followed all through by way of a tripartite ancient and epistemological research: the physique as a disadvantage to wisdom (exemplified via Plato and our modern day futurists), the physique as an item of information (exemplified via Descartes and sleek medical medicine); and the physique as a resource of information (exemplified by way of the Stoics, and the philosophy of yoga).