Single Idea 9327

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly]

Full Idea

Organisms come to better understand their worlds by coming to better understand themselves and the ways in which their own structures engage their worlds.

Gist of Idea

Organisms understand their worlds better if they understand themselves

Source

Robert van Gulick (Mirror Mirror - Is That All? [2006], §III)

Book Reference

'Self-Representational Approaches to Consciousness', ed/tr. Kriegel,U /Williford,K [MIT 2006], p.23


A Reaction

Van Gulick is defending a higher-order theory of consciousness, but this strikes me as a good rationale for the target of philosophy, which has increasingly (since Descartes) focused on understanding our own minds.