1.How does Amo support the view that both body and mind are essential to persons, and what is one potential problem with his argument?
Anton Wilhelm Amo, an 18th-century Ghanaian philosopher, attacks Descartes’ dualist perspective of the intellect and the body, claiming that both are necessary for people. Amo’s reasoning goes as follows: thinking and feeling are necessary for people; thinking is a mental function, while the feeling is a physical action. Amo’s beliefs were based on the Akan understanding of the mind as a thinking ability rather than a substance. As a result, both the intellect and the body are necessary for people.
Amo draws on the assumption that sensation is a bodily rather than a mental process to support his claim that both the body and the mind are necessary to people. He believes the mind is purely active, whereas everything that receives experiences is purely passive. Hence, the sensation is a passive function, so it cannot be ascribed to the intellect. Instead, it must be a bodily function. Moreover, Amo maintains that sense organs are necessary for sensation and belong to the body, not the consciousness.
While Amo’s argument appears to be strong at first look, one major flaw resides in his definition of sensation. Amo does not differentiate between various forms of sensations or emotions. Instead, he appears to associate all forms of emotions with physiological experiences. However, this ignores the reality that certain emotions, such as joy, wrath, or love, are not always associated with physiological sensations. For example, it is possible to feel wrath or love without or with just little-body feelings. Therefore, Amo’s argument might be critiqued for oversimplification of the link between sensation and the body.
Moreover, Amo’s reasoning presupposes that sensation and thinking are separate actions performed by different faculties. However, other philosophers claim that feeling and thinking are more inextricably linked than Amo indicates. Some cognitive scientists, for example, think that emotions are more than just bodily sensations but rather sophisticated mental processes, including cognition, evaluation, and subjective experience. According to this viewpoint, emotions are more than just passive reactions to external stimuli; they also entail active interpretation and appraisal of the environment.
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2. Please freely reflect on any aspect of your thoughts on the work of Dzobo, Adeofe, or both.
Reflecting on N.K. Dzobo and Leke Adeofe’s work is evident in their intriguing and thought-provoking viewpoints on the nature of people, creativity, and community. Dzobo’s focus on the need for creativity to attain personhood is especially noteworthy. His notion that the creative person may maintain a constructive relationship with others and contribute to the lives and quality of their society shows that creativity is more than simply a solitary pursuit but has significant social and communal significance. This is consistent with the African communalist viewpoint, which emphasizes the connectivity and interdependence of individuals within a community. Additionally, Dzobo’s assertion that “we are, therefore I am, and because I am, therefore we are” emphasizes the need to acknowledge the role that others play in our own particular identities and personal progress.
Adeofe’s three-part notion of a person, which comprises the body, mind/soul, and inner head, provides a unique and holistic view of personhood. The emphasis on the continuity of intentions, beliefs, and memories as essential to self-actualization is particularly intriguing. It implies that our projects and goals do not simply end in themselves but rather a means to a greater sense of personal fulfillment and fulfillment actualization.
But, while both Dzobo and Adeofe give unique viewpoints on the nature of people, their work is not without potential critique. Dzobo’s emphasis on creativity as a way of acquiring personhood, for example, may neglect that not all people have access to the resources or opportunities required to grow their creative potential. Similarly, Adeofe’s emphasis on the relevance of purpose, belief, and memory continuity may neglect that persons can experience major personal adjustments and growth over time. Ultimately, Dzobo & Adeofe’s work provides unique and thought-provoking insights into the nature of people, creativity, and community. While these points of view are not without critiques or limits, they do contribute to a greater understanding of what it is to be a person and the role that creativity, community, and personal growth play in obtaining a feeling of personal fulfillment and actualization.
