Meta 01: The Physical/Mental Divide

    Recently I have thought that some readers of this blog (besides myself... wait a minute, isn't that the empty set?) might be confused at where I draw the line between the physical and the mental. For example, I surprised a friend of mine when I revealed that I did not believe in the existence of a soul. To paraphrase: "I'm not concerned about the issue of whether we're bodies with souls or souls with bodies. To me, it's all bodies." Now, the soul is not the same as the mind, but supposing a soul, the distinction between mind and body would (appear to) clarify. Lacking that, what do I mean by these words? Let's turn to a dictionary!

men·tal/ˈmentl/

Adjective:	Of or relating to the mind. Carried out by or taking place in the mind.
Synonyms:	intellectual - spiritual - psychic - psychical

phys·i·cal/ˈfizikəl/

Adjective:	Of or relating to the body as opposed to the mind.
Noun:	A medical examination to determine a person's bodily fitness.
Synonyms:	adjective.  material - corporeal - bodily - corporal noun.  physical examination

    Greatly unhelpful! It looks like I'm on my own for this. I am not using these words strictly in the way these definitions suggest - again, the idea of the mind as "opposed" to the body, and not an emergent property of the brain, which is a part of the body. Here's how I make this distinction:


Mental: The organization of the categories used to process sensory data about the sensory world and the "world of ideas". (This latter part includes belief, worldview, philosophy, and designated purpose, as well as the use of rational analysis in examining these).

Physical: the resources available to the purposes of the mental, and the knowledge accumulated about them, as well as those things which the mental must overcome to achieve its purposes.

    Much of this has overlap - for example, I exercise my body (physical) because I believe (mental) it good to maintain good health. However, there is some counter-intuitiveness: my memory, attention span, and willpower would all constitute as physical, even though these are things which mostly take part in the brain. This is consistent to me: I exercise my body to improve overall health, and exercise my attention span through meditation to give me better focus when solving problems.

    What about the third category, "Meta"? It is not independent: the ability to step back and evaluate what I'm doing is a Physical resource, and the belief that "the unexamined life is not worth living" is a Mental feature. Despite this, I want to treat it separately, for while I conceive the Mental to be about my views and categories for understanding the world, the Meta should be an examination of the categories I use to view myself, as well as a way to focus, track, and clarify the purpose of this blog.

    I've already made a post about physical changes I am making in my life. To better illustrate the differences between the three categories, I plan on making the next post Mental, specifically about the dis-satisfactory nature of what I call "Un-arguments." See you then.