Shogo Tanaka

Tokai University, Institute of Civilization Research, Faculty Member

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Papers by Shogo Tanaka

Hand to Face: A Phenomenological View of Body Image Development in Infants

This paper attempts to theoretically reconsider body image development in infants from a phenomen... more This paper attempts to theoretically reconsider body image development in infants from a phenomenological viewpoint of the body. Because body image is defined as the mental picture of one's whole body, our main question is how we obtain the perspective to view our own body as a whole in constituting body image. First, focusing on the development of mirror self-cognition in the first 2 years of life, we find that this perspective derives from that of others in embodied interactions with infants. We then trace the process whereby others' perspectives appear in dyadic interactions between infants and caregivers. Since joint attention is established around 9 months, this dyadic interaction is transformed into a triadic relationship between the infant, caregiver, and object, which is experienced as "secondary intersubjectivity." Infant body image is constituted gradually within this intersubjective context. Based on phenomenological descriptions, we propose that the hands are the first organ and the face the last organ to be incorporated into one's body image. We conclude that the constitution of body image is not merely a sensory task of integrating proprioceptive and visual images of the body, but a social task of internalizing others' perspectives regarding one's own body.

format_quoteInfants develop mirror self-recognition through embodied interactions, internalizing perspectives of others to perceive their body as seen by others.format_quote

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Potential of the Path Integral and Quantum Computing for the Study of Humanities: An Underlying Principle of Human Evolution and the Function of Consciousness

Global Perspectives, 2024

The “(classical) scientific view of the world” that characterizes the modern history of human civ... more The “(classical) scientific view of the world” that characterizes the modern history of human civilization has been successful by objectifying nature, humans, and society, for reductive analysis into (approximate) linear causation to allow prediction and control. However, because of its growing maturity and complexity, our modern society now confronts the complexity of multilayered causal structures underlying the real phenomena, which classical science has abstracted through reductive approximation, and
consequently, modern scientists are perplexed by the limitations on comprehension, predictability, and controllability. The “uncertainty principle” of quantum physics, discovered a century ago, has overthrown this classical mechanistic and deterministic worldview, but the “(quantum) scientific worldview” remained confined at the level of microscopic science and has to date never extended onward to the life-size human world. However, as practical applications of the quantum computer are now becoming realistic,
it might provide us with an innovative way to manipulate such complex causal structures and open up a new era in the history of civilization. In this paper, we build ideas on our earlier research findings in the context of the evolutionary patterns of human cognition, so as to extrapolate them to advance speculations on the mechanism of the phase transition of worldviews from classical to quantum causal structure-based ones,
expecting to obtain insights into practical ways of computation to realize such a transition. The paper begins with a section examining the origin of the linear approximation adopted in classical science, back casting from the evolutionary history of the (linguistic) consciousness of our human ancestors. In the next section, we show how human intelligence and civilization have in fact evolved as analog with quantum laws, and review the limitations of modern science in finding an expression of these laws in Eastern philosophy. This section proceeds to show the potential of quantum computation to not only realize a fusion of Eastern and Western approaches but also integrate the humanities and natural sciences. The final section concludes that this new framework can expand and develop the structure and function of human “consciousness” and build a bridgehead against recent “anti-scientism” that is rooted in skepticism concerning the (classical) scientific view of the world and humanity.

format_quotePath integral illustrates evolutionary complexity with multiple paths, reflecting human evolutionary stages and emergent capabilities through triadic niche construction.format_quote

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Narrative self-constitution as embodied practice

Narrative views of the self argue that we constitute our self in self-narratives. Embodied views ... more Narrative views of the self argue that we constitute our self in self-narratives. Embodied views hold that our self is shaped through embodied experiences. In that case, what is the relation between embodiment and narrativity in the process of self-constitution? The question demands a clear definition of embodiment, but existing studies remains unclear on this point (section 2). We offer a correction to this situation by drawing on Merleau-Ponty's analysis of the body that highlights its habituality. On this account, the body has an inherent tendency to cultivate an organisation of habits through its history of engagement with the world (section 3). Next, we explore its role in narrative self-constitution by distinguishing between two aspects of the narrative self, the narrated I and the narrating I (section 4). We argue on phenomenological grounds that self-narratives are informed by bodily perspectives in both respects. Furthermore, a focus on the habituality of the body allows for a better explanation of self-constitution than those based on implicit self-narratives (section 5). For these phenomenological and theoretical reasons, we conclude that narrative self-constitution is an embodied and embedded practice (section 6).

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THE SAPIENT PARADOX AND THE GREAT JOURNEY: INSIGHTS FROM COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROBIOLOGY, AND PHENOMENOLOGY

by Shogo Tanaka and Shogo Tanaka

After a specific point in history, hominin evolution accelerated to a level that could not be acc... more After a specific point in history, hominin evolution accelerated to a level that could not be accounted for by natural selection alone. An alternative mechanism has been proposed based on mutual interaction among neural, cognitive, and ecological niches in a positive feedback loop (triadic niche construction [TNC]). Nevertheless, the trigger events for the cognitive revolution of Homo sapiens as well as the reasons for this event being limited to a single species remain unknown. In this paper, using a multidisciplinary approach involving psychology, neurobiology, and phenomenology, we propose a shift in the mechanisms underlying TNC, from TNC-1 in hominids to TNC-2 in Homo sapiens, to answer these questions. As the hominin brain expanded during TNC-1, latent cognitive capabilities were incubated within its neural framework to be expressed with a simple rewiring among brain areas in TNC-2, a quick and inexpensive process but one that requires a unique set of preconditions to commence. This process was bootstrapped by the advanced function of "projection," which enabled humans to recognize the "self" in a particular time and space in the world, allowing the manipulation of this world (in both physical and symbolic dimensions) again in a "positive feedback loop." Finally, on the basis of this hypothesis, we discuss the immediate problems to be addressed in the research fields of cognitive science, archeology, anthropology, and neurobiology.

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Proceedings of the Kyoto Conference 2015: Beyond the Extended Mind: Different Bodies, Dolls, Female Soul and Eastern Spirit

A Phenomenological View of the Theory of Mind

Japanese Translation of: Fuchs and De Jaegher (2009) Enactive Intersubjectivity: Participatory sense-making and mutual incorporation

http://utcp.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/publications/2013/12/philosophy_of_disability/index_en.php

Body Schema and Body Image: New Directions

Beyond the “body-in-the-brain”: A phenomenological view of phantom limbs

Philosophy & Cultural Embodiment, 2021

Through the influences of Descartes to Ramachandran, phantom limbs have been considered as illuso... more Through the influences of Descartes to Ramachandran, phantom limbs have been considered as illusory feelings caused by neural processes in the brain that are related to body representation. Extending this view to the whole body suggests that the subjective experience of one’s body even without a physical basis would be constructed by neural processes. In fact, in discussing the mechanism of phantom limbs, Ramachandran clearly stated that the whole body is a phantom constructed by the brain for convenience. This is properly called the “body-in-the-brain” view. However, a detailed examination of phantom limbs in the present paper suggests almost the opposite view, although the brain can play an important role in the phenomena. I will first explain why the experience of moving phantom limbs cannot be reduced to motor imagery but should be regarded as a part of physical body movement. Thus, phantom limbs exist as a part of a patient’s body schema. Next, I will discuss the original experience in which one’s body itself is constituted. Drawing on Husserl’s idea of “sensing,” the discussion will clarify that the constituting process of the body involves the pre-reflective sense of self being located within the body. The phantom limb phenomenon illuminates the importance of the body’s physical dimension, making it possible to locate itself within the world through sensing. This paper defends this line of thought as the “body-in- the-world” view.

format_quoteA study found 84% of amputees reported phantom sensations 8 days post-surgery, with 90% continuing after 6 months, highlighting the phenomenon's prevalence.format_quote

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Japanese Translation of: Fuchs and De Jaegher (2009) Enactive Intersubjectivity: Participatory sense-making and mutual incorporation

Philosophy of Disability & Coexistence: Body, Narrative, and Community. UTCP-Uehiro Booklet (Vol. 2, pp. 193-221), 2013

http://utcp.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/publications/2013/12/philosophy_of_disability/index_en.php

What is it Like to Be Disconnected from the Body?: A Phenomenological Account of Disembodiment in Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder

Journal of Consciousness Studies, 2018

So long as I maintain the ordinary modes of experience such as walking or eating, the body appear... more So long as I maintain the ordinary modes of experience such as walking or eating, the body appears to me as something inseparable from myself. Through and with the body I act in the world, and through and from the body I perceive the world. However, this is not the case in the pathological condition known as depersonalization/ derealization disorder (DD). People with DD frequently claim that their self is disconnected from the body and their bodily actions feel like those of a robot. This symptom raises an important question about the paradigm of the embodied self, which is whether the union of body and self is contingent or not. In this paper, I describe the split between the self and body experienced in DD, then compare it with experiences of the full-body illusion, in which the self is perceived to be located out of the physical body. Through this comparison, it is made clear that the self in DD is not totally disembodied even though the basic sense of self has gone through a qualitative change.

Creation between two minded-bodies

My aim here is to describe how meaningful communication is generated from embodied interactions b... more My aim here is to describe how meaningful communication is generated from embodied interactions between the self and the other. In order to do so, first, I revisit and clarify Merleau-Ponty's notion of intercorporeality based on his texts. Intercorporeality is formulated as the reciprocal perception-action loop between the self and the other. Perceiving the other's action prompts the same action in the self (e.g., contagious yawning), or its possibility (e.g., smiling), and vice versa. It is the process underlying the understanding of intentions in another's actions. Then, I extend the notion of intercorporeality from the enactive perspective. Since we immediately grasp the intention of another's action through perceiving it, that action appears as such that affords us to react naturally in response. Thus, intercorporeality unfolds as the embodied interaction of action-reaction, which at a certain moment overrides the individual'sintentions and gains its own auto...

format_quoteMerleau-Ponty's intercorporeality theory enables direct perception of intentions between self and other, contrasting with traditional theories of private minds.format_quote

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The Notion of Intercorporeality and Its Psychology

Reconsidering the Self in Japanese Culture from an Embodied Perspective (国際シンポジウム｢Civilization Dialogue between Europe and Japan｣)

1 Civilization Dialogue between Europe and Japan Shogo Tanaka 3 Special Issue: Civilization Dialo... more 1 Civilization Dialogue between Europe and Japan Shogo Tanaka 3 Special Issue: Civilization Dialogue between Europe and Japan Yoichi Hirano, Nobukata Kutsuzawa, Shogo Tanaka 5 A Note on the Possibility of a “Civilization Dialogue”: From a Trans-Disciplinary Humanities Perspective Yoichi Hirano 11 The Takenouchi Mission and Western Culture: The Introduction of the Telegraph Nobutaka Kutsuzawa 17 The Far East in the Eyes of two Austrian Travellers in early Meiji period Peter Pantzer 23 Legitimacy of English Domination and Its Relationship with Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Yuki Takatori 29 The Beauty of Harmony: The Case of Albrecht Dürer’s Theory of Human Proportion Tomoko Nakamura 35 Reconsidering the Self in Japanese Culture from an Embodied Perspective Shogo Tanaka 41 Some Ideas on Civilization from the Cultural Psychology’s Viewpoint Luca Tateo

Bodily Basis of the Diverse Modes of the Self

Human Arenas, 2018

Bodily experiences encompass and underpin all types of experiences of the mind, ranging from pre-... more Bodily experiences encompass and underpin all types of experiences of the mind, ranging from pre-reflective to self-reflective, from subjective to intersubjective, and from collectivistic to individualistic. Moreover, the self is shaped into diverse modes of being as a result of different focuses on bodily experiences. This paper describes the experiences of one's body-assubject, one's body-as-object for oneself, and one's body-as-object for others, as they relate with the self. After theoretical considerations, we take up the experience of wearing clothes as a concrete example. The author's personal experiences adequately show that clothes portray the complexity and dynamism of the self in its relation to the body.

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In Search of “Another History of Psychology”: Modern Psychology and Phenomenology

The Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Association, 2018

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Intercorporeality as a theory of social cognition

Theory & psychology, 2015

The main aim of this article is to revisit Merleau-Ponty's notion of intercorporeality (inter... more The main aim of this article is to revisit Merleau-Ponty's notion of intercorporeality (intercorporéité) and elaborate it as a new theory of social cognition. As is well known, theory of mind has been the central issue in the field of social cognition for more than two decades. In reviewing the basic concepts involved in two major theories (theory theory and simulation theory), I make clear that both theories have been missing the embodied dimension because of their mind-body dualistic supposition. The notion of intercorporeality, in accordance with the recent interaction theory, stresses the role of embodied interactions between the self and the other in the process of social understanding. I develop this notion into two directions and describe the related process of social cognition: one is behavior matching and primordial empathy, the other is interactional synchrony and the sense of mutual understanding. Through these embodied interactions, intersubjective meanings are creat...

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Intercorporeality and aida: Developing an interaction theory of social cognition

Theory & psychology, 2017

The aim of this article is to develop an interaction theory (IT) of social cognition. The central... more The aim of this article is to develop an interaction theory (IT) of social cognition. The central issue in the field of social cognition has been theory of mind (ToM), and there has been debate regarding its nature as either theory-theory or as simulation theory. Insights from phenomenology have brought a second-person perspective based on embodied interactions into the debate, thereby forming a third position known as IT. In this article, I examine how IT can be further elaborated by drawing on two phenomenological notions-Merleau-Ponty's intercorporeality and Kimura's aida. Both of these notions emphasize the sensory-motor, perceptual, and non-conceptual aspects of social understanding and describe a process of interpersonal coordination in which embodied interaction gains autonomy as an emergent system. From this perspective, detailed and nuanced social understanding is made possible through the embodied skill of synchronizing with others.

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Social understanding as a creation : Intercorporeality and aida

総合教育センター紀要, 2015

Mind-body-brain problem

The Japanese journal of psychology

Shogo Tanaka

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