we don't know what awareness is
just that it is
we do not know what the surface is -
we operate with it yes
but what can we say of its nature?
but that it - is out there
relative to awareness
on what do we base the idea of unity upon?
the person - you might say - the unity of body and soul - mind and body -
I have said previously that it is a presupposition
a necessary notion
and too - that seems real - is real
we have the idea of it
the human body is - while a part of a unified physical system - a discreet entity
we perceive it as so
ideas and perception
I argue that the unity is logical - dimensional
two meta dimensions of the one - entity - the one thing - the one - what?
the one undefined - the one primitive - the one unknown
yes - not an easy idea - still -
our most fundamental notions really have no foundation -
anyway -
with consciousness
direct awareness
we do not have knowledge
knowledge is not direct awareness
knowledge is reflective awareness
we can posit a relation between the conscious and the non-conscious
we are not aware of the relationship
we begin with the reflective idea that there is one
the self demands it
it is a meta imperative and I think psychologically unassailable - given veridical
conditions
any account of the relation is reflective
the options are -
there is no distinction between mind and body - the idea that there is - is false
there is a distinction - but a point of contact - an underlying unity -
and variations on these themes
reflectively we are not presented with any one option
it's basically either / or
now why can't this matter be resolved?
observation only settles what can be observed
consciousness is not observed
it is - the observing
consciousness knows itself - not on the basis of observation
rather on the basis of reflection
reflection can't determine matters outside of consciousness
two ways of knowing
entail two realities
I say two dimensions of reality
and what it is that underlies the inside / the outside cannot be apprehended
Spinoza would say - substance
I say the unknown
that mind and body are expressions of -
the unknown
that the unknown is the unity
that the unity is unknown
so - if the question is
what 'connects' mind and body -
the answer is - unknown
- and unknowable
either - in terms of observation and reflection
my two dimensional idea -
is an attempt to avoid Descartes problem of interaction
(it makes no sense to speak of an inside and outside - interacting)
and to avoid the 'flat earth' theory of the mind-body identity theorists
to restore mind to where it is - and should be thought to be - on the inside
brain theory gives us account of the functioning of the surface
there is no such account for the inside
awareness is not function
what underlies awareness and function - if this is a question - is not known -
might we not give the unknown a name?
existence
