Criticism of Gehlen’s Theory of Instinct-Reduction and Phenomenological Clarification of the Concept of Instinct as the Genetic Origin of Embodied Consciousness
-
Lee Nam-In
Abstract
In the past 20 years, the concept of instinct has been discussed in respect to various disciplines such as evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, linguistics, ethics, aesthetics, and phenomenology, etc. However, the meaning of instinct still remains unclarified in many respects. In order to overcome this situation, it is necessary to elucidate the genuine meaning of instinct so that the discussion of instinct in these disciplines can be carried out systematically. The objective of this paper is to establish the genuine concept of instinct on the basis of a phenomenological criticism of A. Gehlen’s theory of instinct-reduction. Moreover, it seeks to show that this concept is the genetic origin of the embodied consciousness. According to Gehlen, instinct is defined as Instinkthandlung. However, this definition of instinct is problematic in the formal logical sense, since the definiendum (the instinct) is already included in the definiens (Instinkthandlung). Moreover, it faces different kinds of serious material problems. Criticizing Gehlen’s theory of instinct systematically, I will show that instinct should be redefined as “the innate living force that urges a species of living being to pursue a certain kind of object,” and I will attempt to clarify this definition of instinct in a more detailed manner by offering 11 points. Thereafter, I will argue that Gehlen’s theory of instinct-reduction has to be replaced by the theory of instinct-enlargement in human beings. Finally, I will point out that the genuine concept of instinct is nothing other than the genetic origin of the embodied consciousness.
© 2018 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Titelei
- Editorial Preface
- Contents
- Preface
- Embodiment
- I. Experiencing the Living Body — 体验生命体
- The Felt Body and Embodied Communication
- Der Leib als Umschlagstelle zwischen Kultur und Natur
- Exploring Pregnant Embodiment with Phenomenology and Butoh Dance
- What are Senses and Sense Modalities?
- Phenomenology of Embodied Personhood and the Challenges of Naturalism in Pain Research
- II. Collective Bodies and Bodily Resonance — 共同一体和身体共鸣
- “… so etwas wie Leiblichkeit.”
- Mass Emotion and Shared Feelings
- On Bodily Resonance
- III. Embodiment, Mediality and Aesthetics — 具身、媒介与美学
- Aesthetic Turn
- Felt-Bodily Resonances
- Body, Language and Mediality
- Bodily Dasein and Chinese Script Components
- The Metaphor of the Net
- IV. After Heidegger — 后海德格尔
- “I” “here” and “you” “there”
- Living in the Moment
- Heidegger on the Problem of the Embodiment of God
- V. Parallels with Phenomenolgy — 与现象学的共性
- From the Analysis of the Political Embodiment in Heidegger’s Black Notebooks to a Brief Comparison With Confucianism
- Phenomenology of Embodied Intersubjectivity
- Toward a Liberative Phenomenology of Zen
- VI. Complements to Phenomenology — 对现象学的补充
- The Normative Body and the Embodiment of Norms
- On the Possibility of a Disembodied Mind
- VII. Miscellaneous — 年度文选
- Criticism of Gehlen’s Theory of Instinct-Reduction and Phenomenological Clarification of the Concept of Instinct as the Genetic Origin of Embodied Consciousness
- Technology, Dao-Technē and Home
- Moral Conflicts and the Application of Ethics
- Is “Intention” Present or Not?
- The First Philosophical Word
- Bio-Bibliography
- Name Index
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Titelei
- Editorial Preface
- Contents
- Preface
- Embodiment
- I. Experiencing the Living Body — 体验生命体
- The Felt Body and Embodied Communication
- Der Leib als Umschlagstelle zwischen Kultur und Natur
- Exploring Pregnant Embodiment with Phenomenology and Butoh Dance
- What are Senses and Sense Modalities?
- Phenomenology of Embodied Personhood and the Challenges of Naturalism in Pain Research
- II. Collective Bodies and Bodily Resonance — 共同一体和身体共鸣
- “… so etwas wie Leiblichkeit.”
- Mass Emotion and Shared Feelings
- On Bodily Resonance
- III. Embodiment, Mediality and Aesthetics — 具身、媒介与美学
- Aesthetic Turn
- Felt-Bodily Resonances
- Body, Language and Mediality
- Bodily Dasein and Chinese Script Components
- The Metaphor of the Net
- IV. After Heidegger — 后海德格尔
- “I” “here” and “you” “there”
- Living in the Moment
- Heidegger on the Problem of the Embodiment of God
- V. Parallels with Phenomenolgy — 与现象学的共性
- From the Analysis of the Political Embodiment in Heidegger’s Black Notebooks to a Brief Comparison With Confucianism
- Phenomenology of Embodied Intersubjectivity
- Toward a Liberative Phenomenology of Zen
- VI. Complements to Phenomenology — 对现象学的补充
- The Normative Body and the Embodiment of Norms
- On the Possibility of a Disembodied Mind
- VII. Miscellaneous — 年度文选
- Criticism of Gehlen’s Theory of Instinct-Reduction and Phenomenological Clarification of the Concept of Instinct as the Genetic Origin of Embodied Consciousness
- Technology, Dao-Technē and Home
- Moral Conflicts and the Application of Ethics
- Is “Intention” Present or Not?
- The First Philosophical Word
- Bio-Bibliography
- Name Index
