Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Reply to comment

Anne Dalke's picture

What makes I I?

I'll be teaching the next Summer Institute, so I stopped by this morning to get a taste of how this one is going. I stayed on because I was intrigued by the story that was being told about the outputting/inputting/reafferenting brain. And I came back here this afternoon because I have a question about that story. It's a question about where we put the "I," and about what the consequences are of locating it solely in that aspect of self that we are aware of.

I understand the distinction between the modules that are the conscious and unconscious parts of our brain; I think I also understand how and why those parts might aptly be re-named the "storyteller" and "frog brain." What I really don't understand (and want to challenge) is the terminology of the "I-function." Why attribute only what is conscious to "I"? Why isn't "I" all that I do, via my body--all that my body does--in the world, whether I'm conscious of it or not? Especially if most of what I do is done unconsciously?

Is this a way of setting up some sort of morality, of saying that I'm only responsible for what I'm conscious of, what I intend to do? If so, then that story isn't very satisfying to me, doesn't acknowledge the really radical consequences of understanding the relationship of our unconscious to our behavior....

Reply

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
12 + 1 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.