The School of History and Philosophy @ UNSW Seminar Series presents:
Anik Waldow (University of Sydney) Descartes’ Dreaming Bodies The literature provides an abundance of comments on the epistemological function of the Cartesian dream scenario. In this paper I place the scenario into a wider context by regarding it against the background of Descartes’ interest in the physiology of perception and the interplay between mechanistic processes and voluntary action. I will investigate his concept of the imagination as a bodily source of dreams and illusions and show that even for the mediator it makes sense to think of himself as a dreamer only if he acknowledges the existence of his body. One result of this analysis is that it becomes clear that the relevance of Descartes’ external world scepticism is overstated; another, if squared with his account of the bête machine, that his dualism can be seen as a means to account for the fact that human creatures, who possess bodies and in virtue of this are drawn to instinctive behaviour, are capable of leading a moral life. With this new reading of some of Descartes’ most contentious arguments it is possible to relocate him within a tradition of natural philosophers who were keen to explore the world of sentient human beings rather than that of disembodied minds. Anik Waldow lectures in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Sydney. She is the author of David Hume and the Problem of Other Minds (Continuum, 2009), and her research focuses on the emergence of empirically based approaches in early modern philosophy. When? Tuesday 4 May, 1 p.m. Where? Room 308B, Morven Brown Building, University of New South Wales (map ref. C20: http://www.facilities.unsw.edu.au/Maps/pdf/kensington.pdf) A light lunch is provided. No bookings are required, and all are welcome. For further information, please contact Joanne Faulkner, [email protected], 9385 2287 Dr. Joanne Faulkner ARC Research Fellow School of History and Philosophy Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Room 338, Morven Brown Building University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052 Australia [email protected] +61 2 9385 2287 http://hist-phil.arts.unsw.edu.au/staff/joanne-faulkner-633.html Treasurer, Australasian Society for Continental Philosophy: http://www.ascp.org.au I am a member of the National Tertiary Education Union. In support of the NTEU’s enterprise bargaining team, all NTEU members at UNSW are engaged in a work ban outside normal working hours. I therefore will not respond to emails or phone calls or engage in other work duties outside of my normal working hours (9am-5pm AEST, Monday to Friday). A recent NTEU survey found that all UNSW staff reported working outside normal working hours e.g. at weekends. I support the NTEU’s bargaining team in their current negotiations with UNSW management to secure a new enterprise agreement with improved conditions for all staff, including: a fair pay increase; better regulation of workloads; protection of recreation leave conditions; improved carer’s leave, and; increased security for casual and fixed-term contract staff. For further information on the NTEU’s claims and bargaining campaign at UNSW, please see www.universitybargaining.com.au_______________________________________________ SydPhil mailing list: http://sydphil.info 950 subscribers now served. To UNSUBSCRIBE, change your MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS, find ANSWERS TO COMMON PROBLEMS, or visit our ONLINE ARCHIVES, please go to the LIST INFORMATION PAGE: http://sydphil.info
