Thursday, July 29, 2004

Am I a Zombie? (Philosophy)

The immature (ok hormonal) part of me wants to stamp my feet repeatedly with my fingers in my ears muttering "I know you are but what am I?"  Alas, I doubt this is a sound philosophical argument.  First, in order to answer the question I would need to disconnected why that is my first impulse.  It's my belief that I get that immediate impulse first off because of the associations I have with the word zombie.  You say zombie, I think nasty flesh dripping, brain eating automaton with no soul, personality or capability of higher understanding.  Obviously this doesn't describe me as my flesh is intact (pretty distended at this point, but not falling off), I've held a brain, but never eaten one, definitely not an automaton, and no one can accuse me of not having a personality (maybe of not having a good one, but there is one there I promise.)  So I don't fit into the *Hollywood* stereotype of a zombie, but that's not the question at hand is it?  The other reason I want to immediately dismiss the idea is because I have an ingrained belief that I am somehow special.  There can be no other replica of me whatsoever.  In fact if you believe my mom, they broke the mold when they made me :D  (whether on accident or on purpose still remains to be seen :P)  Seriously though, whether it is the product of my upbringing, the Christian religion (all unique, made in God's image, special) or some internal vanity, I have a prejudice against the idea of anything being me yet not me.  Yet again, this isn't exactly the question.  When trying to take a clear unbiased look between Peirce's view and the Calvin and Hobbe's handout, as much as I would like to take the Calvin and Hobbe's handout view (sorry don't have the name off hand, will edit and add when I find the handout)  I think this guy is having the same problem's I am.  He has an internal prejudice and is looking at some way to get out of the Peircian line of reasoning.  From our discussion in class, I couldn't find a way to distinguish myself from the Zombie persona.  If the Zombie-me has the ability to love, hate, want, like, dislike or savor experiences in exactly the way I do, then I see no way to deny the existence of a Zombie self state.  All of my attempts to do so are influenced by ingrained prejudices against the word itself, or the belief (however erroneous)  that I am a unique, superior being by fact of my consciousness.  Yet when I go to define consciousness, the synonym that pops in my head is awareness.  Is that not the first tenent of the Peircian philosophy?  So for now, I must agree with Peirce (however grudgingly that may be) until my 'superior consciousness' can figure out a way around it. 


No comments: