VIEWS OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF MIND AND BRAZILIAN PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

While walking through a labyrinth full of curves and obstacles, a blind man endowed with the so-called “blind vision” states that, in his opinion, he believed he had walked in a straight line through an empty corridor. For the darśana (vision of truth) Sāṃkhya, knowledge comes from the antahkaranas (mind and intuition), through the receptivity of the gnanendriyas (including the eyes) and the puruṣa consciousness. For Plato, the eyes emit a fire through which is transmitted what affects the vision to a higher instance of the soul, which brings wisdom and reflection. For Saint Augustine, the intelligible vision, together with the superior reason, enables the contemplation of eternal truths. For Abraham J. Heschel, the invisible God of Israel is made audible by the prophets of the Old Testament. With René Descartes, our vision can deceive us. In Dióptrica, Descartes focuses on the formation of an image in the brain, composed of movements that act on the soul and cause vision. Lévi-Strauss criticizes certain abstract categories of Western philosophy, such as the Cartesian cogito, which radically separates man and nature. Among its purposes, Brazilian philosophy seeks to reintegrate these categories. Ceremonies for the reintegration of man with nature, with the use of ayahuasca, may cause visions called "miraciones". Universal philosophy must incorporate as many “views” as possible.