Human Definition
In response to The World of Perception by Maurice Merleau-Ponty
The most creative philosophers of the twentieth century Maurice introduced his ideas that how human perception influence, even make up, the perceived world as the definition of human-self. Though his words is obscure, especially to me who came from a different culture, his clear statement and the example he used quite make sense. Actually I felt quite shocking when I find out the significant view he put in this book: In a modern context, we, human beings, are defined by the perceived world. I was shocked not because I disagree with the strange idea, but I feel there is a lot of evidence happened in my life to support his words.
I just heard a story happened in Long Island many years ago. A black couple’s baby was accidentally born by a white woman because of the fertility clinic’s fault, and the black baby finally lived with its biological parents after a discussion of its physical and cultural identity in society. Throughout the whole discussion in society, wether the black baby would have happiness is a key issue. And many suggested that if the black baby lives in a white culture,he would be on a islet outside the mainstream society because his skin decided he doesn’t entirely belong to either white culture nor a black culture. Then he would be out of two sides, alone. This hypothesis makes sense according to Maurice. When the black baby grows in a white culture, though his skin is dark color, the way he thinks and acts would be in a white way. Because what he sees and hears is what white concerns about. He even would modify himself to “fit” this world, as any new born babies struggle to do in their beginning of life.
Maurice also emphasized that there is nothing wrong with the science which documents data and makes reasonable conclusion with logic. It’s true, and it doesn’t have any conflicting with his most important idea mentioned above. Because to human, it’s another deal.
What firstly got attention is that Maurice set his whole philosophy the context of modernism. In his statement, it’s clear that he separated human from the whole beings in this world, like animals, children etc. He didn’t make more detailed explanation in this lectures, but I have suggestions. From ancient times to modern times, the unity of production has highly improved, which means in a modern society, people won’t only the whole attention to the basic living condition like enough food or a warm place to live. That’s the time when human have free brain space to perceive, not like how other animals or primitive people would do, but a modern human being who has a combination of body and mind. So the perceived world he means, is not just what people directly see and directly hear, which truly exist in the physical world but don’t make any sense. Maurice kept again and again uses the examples from art, paintings or music, because in his opinion, the perceived world he suggested, is a world with consciousness and recognition. The perceived world is a more spiritual one. It just reminds me of some views from the Buddhism. There is quite similar perspective about the human’s perception which is thought to be two parts, one is “what you sense”, another is “what you perceive”. And it’s “what you perceive” brings the meaning of life and keeps human to improve themselves.
Since then, the world that people live in is an essential part of themselves. And when we talk about the world, we would think about space, environment. I guess that’s why we would get a assignment to read this over-one-hundred-pages text. Though at the beginning when I saw there are seven lectures, but at the end I understand that the main subject Maurice talked about here is the connection between the space that people are in and people themselves.
In the fifth lecture, Maurice made a very smart statement which suggests that human would observe themselves from a view outside themselves. The mirror which people always look into is just the perceived world. I call it the God’s point of view. Because after human beings went so much further than primitive human, we think about more when we’re awake. As he also mentioned that the observation of perceived world would change, or define people themselves, to me, it would be really interesting to seek the power of the environment. Maybe it would be simple as the arrows guiding people to different places. It also could be more propounding fun!
Few weeks ago I had an idea, which is quite similar to Maurice, our memories defines who we are. Surely before I came up with that idea, I still believe there should be parallel universes and there are countless same looking me appearing at different boxes. It’s kind of materialism. But now I think this can also be idealism. And in this way, we are defined by our memories, and our memories are made of the perceived world. It’s interesting to think about if there is a possibility to change/ improve ourselves by altering the way of how we perceive the world, the way how we interact with the space then we would have different possible memory, the way how we think about ourselves and who we think we are.
