There will be a workshop on social cognition next week in Shanghai, organized by Eastern China Normal University.
"Cultural Embedding of Social Cognition"
I am going to give a talk as one of the speakers. My talk is titled, "Hand to Face: Body image development embedded in social interactions." Focusing on the developmental course of infants, I will try to explicate the order of body image development, which starts with hands and ends up with face.
Look forward to sharing my argument.
Shortly before, our new article was published on Philosophical Psychology.
Katsunori Miyahara and Shogo Tanaka (2023) "Narrative self-constitution as embodied practice" Philosophical Psychology, Online First.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09515089.2023.2286281
Here is the abstract.
Narrative views of the self argue that we constitute our self in self-narratives. Embodied views hold that our self is shaped through embodied experiences. In that case, what is the relation between embodiment and narrativity in the process of self-constitution? The question demands a clear definition of embodiment, but existing studies remains unclear on this point (section 2). We offer a correction to this situation by drawing on Merleau-Ponty’s analysis of the body that highlights its habituality. On this account, the body has an inherent tendency to cultivate an organization of habits through its history of engagement with the world (section 3). Next, we explore its role in narrative self-constitution by distinguishing between two aspects of the narrative self, the narrated I and the narrating I (section 4). We argue on phenomenological grounds that self-narratives are informed by bodily perspectives in both respects. Furthermore, a focus on the habituality of the body allows for a better explanation of self-constitution than those based on implicit self-narratives (section 5). For these phenomenological and theoretical reasons, we conclude that narrative self-constitution is an embodied and embedded practice (section 6).
It was a nice experience for me to write together with Katsunori Miyahara, who is also a Merleau-Ponty scholar. Collaborating with him, I tried to extend Merleau-Ponty's ideas on embodiment into the realm of narrativity.
Enjoy reading it.
Happy new year, everybody!
Greetings from Tokyo.
Here is a picture of IHSRC 2023 in Tokai University last year.
Two weeks ago, I enjoyed being interviewed with Nich Kemp from IKIGAI TRIBE.
Do you know the Japanese word "IKIGAI (生きがい)"? Ikigai means somthing that make your life worth living, and it is becoming popular in English literature through Mieko Kamiya's book titled "On Ikigai (生きがいについて)."
Through the interview, I tried to give accounts on the concept of "aida (あいだ)” and "ma (間)". Both concepts are grounded in Japanese language and culture but I think it has a universal dimension that is open to the people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Intending to show that, my talk starts with the idea of intercorporeality.
Visit the page below, if you are interested in.
IKIGAI podcast 66: Navigating Aida and Intercorporeality with Prof. Shogo Tanaka
https://ikigaitribe.com/podcasts/podcast66/
Enjoy!
Thanks to the aid of Prof. Steen Halling, I obtained the following information on International Human Science Research Conference. This is a list of sites and themes of the past conferences since 1982. Here I share it with you all.
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International Human Science Research Conference
Conference Sites and Themes, 1982-2023
(made by Prof. Steen Halling)
1982: School of Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. “Phenomenology of Childhood.”
1983: Department of Psychology, Duquesne University, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, USA. No theme.
1984: Department of Psychology, State University of West Georgia, Carrollton, USA.
1985: May 21-25. Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
1986: May 27-31. University of California, Berkeley; Co-sponsored by the California State University, Hayward, and the Saybrook Institute, USA: “Dialogue Within Diversity”.
1987: May 26-30. School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Canada. “Towards Integration in Human Science.” (The tradition of holding alternative meetings in Europe is affirmed. )
1988: June 8-12th. Department of Psychology and the College of Arts and Sciences, Seattle University, Washington, USA. “The Ethical Foundations and Implications of Human Science Research.” (Subsequent to 1988, the newsletter is published at Seattle University.)
1989: Aug 18-22. Institute of Psychology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. No theme (First meeting outside of North America. From the beginning many Europeans came to these conferences.)
1990: June 9-13. Faculty of the Educational Sciences, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada. “Intersubjectivity.” (The first and only time presentations were both in French and English (a requirement at public institutions in Quebec). Paul Ricouer was the keynote speaker.)
1991: Aug 18-22. Departments of Psychology, Educational and Educational Research, and History of Science and Ideas, University of Goteborg, Sweden. “Human Science as Methodology.”
1992: June 9-13. The Institute for Action Research, the Departments of Human Development and Child Studies, and of Philosophy, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA. “The Hermeneutic Circle: Voice, Narrative and Meaning Making in the Life-Worlds of Children and Adults.”
1993: Aug 10-14. Department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands. “Human Sciences at the Intersection of Politics, Social Change and Development and Political Decision Making.” (We voted to go to South Africa if democratic elections were held.)
1994: Jun 14- 18th. Department of Psychology, St. Joseph’s College, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA. No theme.
1995: Aug 21-25. Department of Psychology, University of Pretoria, Eskrom Conference Centre, Midrand, South Africa. No theme.
1996: Aug 14-17. Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: Beyond Form. “Transformation through Imagery and Action.”
1997: Aug 16-20. Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. “The Challenges for the Human Sciences in a Technological World.”
1998: June 10-14. Sheldon Jackson College, Sitka, Alaska. “Interfaces: Heritages and Cultures”
1999: July 26-29. Learning and Teaching Research Institute (and others), Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom. “Qualitative Research: Unity and Diversity.” (The attendance at the previous two conferences was quite low (less than hundred). This year at least 300 attended.)
2000: June 12-15. Southampton College, Long Island University, New York, USA. “Celebrating Openness.”
2001: Aug 19-22. Counseling Institute, Taisho University, Tokyo, Japan. “Caring for the Next Generation.”
2002. June 19-22. University of Victoria, Victoria BC, Canada. “Inciting Dialogue at the Edges.”
2003: Aug 13-16th. Ersta Skondal University College, Stockholm, Sweden. “Human Science Research and Human Vulnerability.”
2004: Aug 5-8th. Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario Canada. “Embodiment and its Consequences in Human Science Research.”
2005: Aug 10-13. Bournemouth University, United Kingdom. “Values”
2006: Aug 3-6. John F. Kennedy University, Pleasant Hills, California. “The Multicultural Future of Qualitative Research”
2007: June 13-16. University of Trento, Rovereto Branch, Italy. “New Frontiers of Phenomenology: Beyond Postmodernism in Empirical Research.”
2008: June 11-14, Ramapo College, Ramapo, NJ, USA. “Imagination and the Human Sciences.”
2009: June 17-20, Molde University College, Molde, Norway.
2010: August 4-8. Seattle University, Seattle, USA. “Giving Voice to Experience.”
2011: July 27-30. Hosted by the Open University at Oxford University, Oxford, UK. “Intertwining Body-self-world.”
2012: June 25-29. University of Quebec at Montreal, “Renewing the Encounter between the Human Sciences, the Arts and the Humanities”.
2013: July 27-30. University of Aalborg, Denmark. Creativity in human science research, methodology and theory.
2014: Saint Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Advancing Human Science: Recovering Subjectivity, Relation, Process. (We had expected that the 2016 would be held in San Francisco but the potential organizers were at a loss to find an appropriate venue. After the conference, University of Ottawa stops forward and becomes the host without a business meeting decision.)
2015: August 11-15. Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway. “Culture and Morality.”
2016: July. University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. “Life Phenomenology: Movement, Affect, and Language.”
2017: July, Karkonosze College in Jelenia Gora, Poland. “Between Necessity and Choice: Existential Dilemmas in the Human life-world.”
2018: June, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC, “Dialogue and Inclusivity.”
2019: June, Molde University College, Molde, Norway
2022: June. PACE University, New York, USA. “Building Bridges, State of the Science.”
2023: August 7-11. Tokai University, Shonan Campus, Japan. “Intercorporeality: (Re) Connecting people beyond social distance.”
We are happy to announce the website for IHSRC 2023 is now open!
https://ihsrc2023tokyo.jp/
The 40th International Human Science Research Conference is scheduled for 7 to 11 August 2023 and will be held in Tokai University Takanawa Campus, as an onsite event.
Please send your abstract for paper presentation by April 15th to "ihsrc2023@gmail.com" The decision will be sent no later than May 15th.
We look forward to meeting you all in Tokyo!
All the best,
Shogo Tanaka
IHSRC 2023 local organizing committee
We are going to hold an online symposium on September 23rd.
Tokai University Online Symposium
"Embodied Spirituality: Meditation practices in the contemporary world"
September 23rd, 2022, 10:00 - 12:00 CET / 17:00 - 19:00 JST
All those who are interested in embodiment and spirituality are welcome. Please follow the link below and register your name and e-mail address. You will get the webinar link after the registration.
My talk is titled "On the spiritual dimension of embodied experiences." Though I have not finished preparing for my talk yet, my main idea is very simple: Our bodily experiences such as sports and dance inherently have spiritual dimensions. Are you interested? Please join us!
Best,
S
As I restarted the blog as my personal website, the previous pages were closed. I save the page "Embodied Knowledge" as follows:
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Embodied Knowledge
Embodied knowledge is a type of knowledge where the body knows how to act.
A simple and general example is riding a bicycle. Most of us know how to ride a bicycle, and we are able to do it without any deliberation. There is no need to verbalize or represent in the mind all the procedures required. The knowledge seems to be imprinted in one’s body. The knowing-subject here is the body itself, not the mind. Or more precisely, the knowing subject is the minded-body or embodied-mind.
The notion of embodied knowledge is derived from the phenomenology of the French philosopher, Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961). In Phenomenology of Perception (1945/1962), referring to knowing how to touch type, he explains it as follows:
To know how to touch type is not, then, to know the place of each letter among the keys, nor even to have acquired a conditioned reflex for each one, which is set in motion by the letter as it comes before our eye. If habit is neither a form of knowledge nor an involuntary action, what then is it? It is knowledge in the hands, which is forthcoming only when bodily effort is made, and cannot be formulated in detachment from that effort.
[Merleau-Ponty, M. (1945/1962). Phenomenology of Perception, Routledge, p.144.]
What Merleau-Ponty described as 'knowledge in the hands' is the particular type of knowledge which is not distinctly explicit, conscious, mentally representative, or articulated. It is, however, well known by the body or through the body, when it is practiced. The knowledge of how to touch type is just lived by the hands or by the body. Merleau-Ponty also refers to it as 'knowledge bred of familiarity' (savoir de familiarité). This is the original source of embodied knowledge.
Embodied knowledge is similar in concept to the procedural knowledge (as contrasted with declarative knowledge) of cognitive science, which can be better presented by performance than by verbal explanation. However, in contrast to the ideas of Merleau-Ponty, in mainstream cognitive science Cartesian mind-body dualism (and the reduction of mind to brain which derived from it) is still dominant, and the embodied nature of this knowledge seems to be overlooked. For example, Raymond Gibbs states:
One of the traditional beliefs in the cognitive science is that intelligent behavior, including the ability to perceive, think, and use language, need not arise from any specific bodily form. Thermostats, computers, robots, and brains in vats may all, under the right circumstances, exhibit sophisticated cognitive skills.
[Gibbs, R. W. (2006). Embodiment and Cognitive Science. Cambridge U. P., p.2]
This tradition has not fully changed yet, although there exists many embodied approaches today.
Descartes, with his famous methodological skepticism, separated mind and body, and at the same time rejected any knowledge that could be doubted. Thus, in the Cartesian world-view, the knowing-subject, which certain knowledge belongs to, is only the mind. The body is a mere known-object. There is no place for any 'embodied' knowledge.
What I propose as the embodied knowledge is not constituted upon such dualism. For the mind, it is not apparent as knowledge since it is not clearly represented; nevertheless, we experience it with certainty through our own body. It is not confined only to the motor skills, but is concerned with the variety of human experiences which occur within the Lifeworld (Lebenswelt).
For the detail, please refer to;
As I restarted the blog as my personal website, the previous pages were closed. I save the page "Intercorporeality" as follows:
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As I launched my own website recently, I decided to close this blog. But I leave all the posts as they are now so that you can visit and enjoy them.
Please visit my new website:
Shogo Tanaka's Psychology & Philosophy Lab.
https://shogo-tanaka.jp/en/index.html
All the best,
S
Very soon, this Friday, we are going to hold a panel titled "Embodied Ways of Knowing" in the Embodiment Conference.
Panel: Embodied Ways of Knowing
October 23rd, Friday
JST (Tokyo) 10pm-, CET (Berlin): 3pm-, BST (London): 2pm-, EDT (New York): 9am-, PDT (Los Angeles): 6am-
I am going to give a brief talk on the concept of embodied knowledge. Though it is introductory, it would be a nice opportunity for those who are interested in knowing Merleau-Ponty's theory of embodiment.
I also look forward to sharing the panel with Dr. Kat Austin, a very unique artist based in Berlin creating diverse media installations.
Dr. Kat Austen https://www.katausten.com/
Get your free ticket here;
https://theembodimentconference.org/
See you soon on Zoom,
S