Thinking about the Body

Abstract

The relation between a human being and his body is a complicated\nquestion made more problematic by new technologies. Kass ponders the\n"mind-body problem" in its many aspects. He discusses the body in speech and\nexperience, examines its unitary and bipolar properties, and comments on the\nresults of upright posture and on the body as a source of both pride and\nhumility. He considers the nature of human dignity and the development of\nsociability and culture. In comparing cultures based on their treatment of\nthe dead, he finds that "hyperrational" societies demonstrate the least\nrespect for both living and dead bodies. He concludes that modern scientific\nman is losing his respect for the meaning of life by his insistence on\nachieving autonomy through biomedical technologies. (KIE abstract)