I’m very opposed to the mind/body dichotomy. The mind is a result of the body, and they’re interlinked deeply. And that’s becoming increasingly undeniable in cognitive science and neuroscience. The conclusions of this connection aren’t fully accepted yet. If the mind and body are one, then why are we allowing such horrible abuses to happen to our bodies? Why, when Netflix tells us that their biggest competitor is sleep, do we not view Netflix with huge disgust and fear, as Netflix is openly declaring war against our bodies? Why do we still do all of the things we know are bad for our health?
I think we’ve come to accept that, in order to advance our careers, we need to destroy our bodies with long hours of sitting, poor lunch choices, and unhealthy work hours. That just seems to be how the world works. Health is considered a luxury, rather than a necessity. I don’t remember seeing exercise on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
And so, kind of like how art was deeply shaped by people scarred by World War II, and postmodernism and poststructuralism emerged from the violence, I think our philosophies and worldviews are deeply scarred by junk food, alcohol, poor sleep, and lack of exercise. Misinterpretations of Body Positivity promote normalizing unhealthy lifestyles, neglect of health indicators, and overcorrection of weight stigma.
With that, I wonder, where are the buff philosophers? Are there any academics who are athletes? What are their classes like, and what kind of ideas do they submit to the academic sphere?
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