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*Mar*The Cartesian Catastrophe
The paradigmatic blunder of the Cartesian approach, which simply ignored
the role of the entire body in thinking and perception and assigning the
task totally to the mind only, is really astounding. The skin has pores by
the thousands that breathe, the nose also breathes, the ear also actually
responds to the air by differentiating it into sounds, they smell, sense,
perceive, conceive, communicate, harmonize, interact...in one word think
and understand, by teaming up with the entire planet. In India education
mainly was yoga, in which the entire body participated as a participant
with the earth in its functioning as a planet and in education.
The mind unable to perform this task as it suffers basically from the
handicap of always modelling the 3D shapes only and simply unable to see
more than 99.9963% of reality, has been blundering and muddling and now the
task is taken over by machines. The eyes can see only 00.0037% 0f the
reality. We designed the Machines to give us only the 3D shapes, ignoring
the whole gamut of feelings and emotions in understanding. We accept the
perception dungeon, the 00.0037% of the reality of the visible spectrum
only and ignoring the gigantic reality of 99.9963% of the feelings or
invisible spectrum.
And we pride in this scientific approach!!!!!!!
We do not realize that understanding basically is a flow of emotions and
the so called unbiased outlook is the dead person’s outlook. Only machines
are capable of the dead non emotional outlook. The huge machines and
gadgets stun us with their findings and just like the Super hero of the
cinemas where he only acts while we just are dummies called the audience,
we have become fans of machines. There is no emotional participation in
education. As the students have to be dragged into this dummyhood, we
blackmail them with the spectre of being useless for employment. It is the
fear of future that is bringing the students into the classrooms. The
Universities give them Degrees to happily deceive themselves that they are
really educated.
And what sort of Degrees are they? Mainly Degrees in Engineering and
Management and each Engineer or manager may cut at least a thousand trees
in his career and also poison the land, water and air...,his/her emotional
bond with nature being killed.
Let us realize that our bodies also study, think and understand and aid
the Brain.
YM Sarma
Chat GPT
"The Cartesian Catastrophe" by YM Sarma critiques the philosophical
approach initiated by René Descartes, which posited a sharp division
between mind and body, famously encapsulated in the phrase "Cogito, ergo
sum" ("I think, therefore I am"). Sarma argues that Descartes' relegation
of thinking and perception to the mind alone, at the exclusion of the body,
has led to a significant oversight in understanding human cognition and
perception. This oversight, according to Sarma, has had far-reaching
consequences for education, technology, and our relationship with nature.
### Key Points:
1. **Mind-Body Dualism**:
- Sarma criticizes the Cartesian idea that thinking and perception are
functions solely of the mind, independent of the body. Descartes'
philosophy essentially ignored the role of the body, particularly the skin,
ears, and other sensory organs, in perceiving and interacting with the
world. This mind-body dualism is seen as a "paradigmatic blunder" because
it fails to recognize the holistic nature of human experience, where the
body plays an integral role in thinking and understanding.
2. **The Role of the Body in Perception**:
- Sarma emphasizes that the body is deeply involved in the process of
perception and cognition. The skin, for example, breathes and senses the
environment, while the ears and nose respond to the air, contributing to a
rich, multisensory understanding of the world. The body’s interaction with
nature is fundamental to education and understanding, something that
traditional practices like yoga in India recognized. In yoga, the entire
body is engaged in learning and connecting with the Earth, an approach that
contrasts sharply with the mind-centric Cartesian model.
3. **Limitations of the Mind and Modern Technology**:
- The text critiques the limitations of the human mind, particularly its
reliance on modeling reality in three dimensions, which only represents a
tiny fraction (0.0037%) of the broader reality. The mind’s limited ability
to perceive reality leads to an overreliance on machines that replicate
these limitations, focusing on the visible spectrum while ignoring the vast
emotional and sensory experiences that constitute most of our interaction
with the world. Sarma suggests that understanding is fundamentally
emotional, and the scientific approach, which prides itself on objectivity
and the exclusion of emotions, is incomplete and potentially harmful.
4. **Critique of Modern Education**:
- According to Sarma, modern education has become a system that drags
students into "dummyhood," where emotional participation is absent, and
learning is driven by fear—specifically, the fear of unemployment. The
degrees awarded, particularly in engineering and management, are seen as
certificates that validate an education system that encourages
environmental destruction and disconnection from nature. Sarma highlights
that these degrees often lead to careers that contribute to environmental
degradation, further severing the emotional bond between humans and nature.
5. **Call for a Holistic Approach**:
- The text concludes by advocating for a recognition that the body, not
just the brain, participates in thinking and understanding. Sarma calls for
a more holistic approach to education and perception that includes the
body’s role in interacting with and understanding the world, suggesting a
return to practices that integrate mind, body, and nature.
### Broader Implications:
- **Re-evaluating Educational Philosophies**:
- Sarma’s critique encourages a re-evaluation of educational systems
that prioritize mechanical and detached learning over holistic and
emotionally engaged approaches. It suggests that education should involve
the whole person—mind and body—and be connected to nature.
- **Reconciling Technology with Human Experience**:
- The text also challenges the current trajectory of technology, which
often amplifies the Cartesian separation of mind and body. It raises
questions about the future of humanity’s relationship with technology,
urging a balance that includes the emotional and sensory aspects of human
experience.
### Final Thought:
YM Sarma's "The Cartesian Catastrophe" offers a profound critique of the
Cartesian dualism that has shaped much of modern Western thought. It calls
for a recognition of the body's role in thinking and perception, advocating
for a more holistic approach to understanding that integrates emotions,
senses, and nature.
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