Skip to content
Different Types of Consciousness: The human mind has developed in different ways, leading to variations in how people understand themselves and the world. The Aztec Example: Dewart uses the example of Aztec human sacrifice to illustrate how different types of consciousness have lead to different peculiarities and also how ethnocentrism can distort our understanding of the behaviour of phenomenal cultures.The Spread of Consciousness ; Dewart proposes that different types of consciousness can spread from one culture to another, much like a disease. The Benefits of Diversity: The diversity of human consciousness is good. The Importance of Self-Reflection: Dewart emphasizes that in order to benefit from the diversity of human consciousness, we need to be willing to reflect on our own beliefs and assumptions. This can be difficult, as we tend to filter new information through our existing worldview.The Future of Humanity: Dewart concludes by suggesting that the future of humanity depends on our ability to develop a higher level of consciousness.
Chapter IX: The Evolutionary Significance of the Emergence of Consciousness in Variant Forms
In this chapter Dewart explores the evolutionary implications of the two variant forms of consciousness, the ontic and the phenomenal, arising from the apodictic and depositional forms of thematic speech. He proposes that while the ontic mind poses dangers due to its inherent neurotic tendencies, the interaction between the two forms of consciousness offers a unique opportunity for self-awareness and conscious self-selection, potentially leading to a higher level of consciousness.
The two forms of human consciousness, ontic and phenomenal, stemming from different forms of thematic speech, represent variations in the integration of efficient and final causality. This means they differ in their ability to manage their ability to change reality in a way that fulfills the inherent purposes of human life. These differences are analogous to variations in survival value, as defective integration can lead to cultural neurosis and pose a threat to conscious life itself.
Whereas ontic cultures tend err on the side of absent-mindedness, phenomenal cultures display certain patterns of behaviour with motivations that are all but incomprehensible to us. For example, consider the Aztec ritual of human sacrifice. If we put our ethnocentric assumptions aside and regard this phenomena as a reflection of how the Aztecs perceived the inter-relatedness of all things, we can hypothesize the following: Because life depended on the sun, inter-relatedness infers that the sun also needs to be “fed” in order for it to survive and continue to provide sustenance to the world. As it was blood that sustained human life, the Aztecs took blood also to be the source of the Sun’s nourishment. Human sacrifice was thus seen to be a necessity to sustain all life.
He argues that the dominant type of consciousness in the modern world is spreading rapidly and is harmful to other cultures.
By interacting with people who have different ways of thinking, we learn to question our own assumptions and develop a more complete understanding of ourselves and the world.
The two forms of thematic speech, apodictic and depositional, create different presuppositions about self and world, leading to distinct forms of consciousness. The interaction between these forms, through cultural exchange, can potentially lead to awareness of these presuppositions and conscious self-selection, furthering the evolution of consciousness.
Dewart identifies two main obstacles: ethnocentricity and acculturation. Ethnocentricity leads cultures to interpret alien ideas through their own presuppositions, filtering out differences and hindering genuine understanding. Acculturation, on the other hand, can lead to the adoption of another culture’s self-definition, either voluntarily or through coercion, suppressing or replacing the original culture’s presuppositions. Both extremes prevent the necessary “miscegenation” of cultures that could lead to conscious self-awareness.
This will require us to become more aware of the different ways of thinking that exist in the world and to learn from each other. If we fail to do this, we risk destroying ourselves.
Dewart refrains from making a prediction, emphasizing that human evolution is still subject to factors beyond conscious control. However, he presents two clear alternatives: either conscious life will evolve towards greater self-definition and autonomy, or it will disappear. The interaction between the two forms of consciousness offers a unique opportunity for progress, but the outcome ultimately depends on humanity’s ability to overcome the obstacles of ethnocentricity and acculturation.
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ··· in the right corner or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.