Anik Waldow develops an account of embodied experience that extends from Descartes' conception of the human body as firmly integrated into the causal play of nature, to Kant's understanding of anthropology as a discipline that provides us with guidance in our lives as embodied creatures. Waldow defends the claim that during the early modern period, the debate on experience not only focused on questions arising from the subjectivity of our thinking and feeling, it also foregrounded the essentially embodied dimension of our lives as humans. By taking this approach, Waldow departs from the traditional epistemological route dominant in treatments of early-modern conceptions of experience. She makes the case that reflections on experience took center stage in a debate that was moral in nature, because it raised questions about the developmental potential of human beings and their capacity to instantiate the principles of self-determined agency in their lives.
These questions emerged for many early modern authors since they understood that the fact that humans are embodied entailed that they are similarly responsive and causally-determined like other non-human animals. While this perspective made it possible to acknowledge that humans are part of the causal dynamics of nature, it called into question their ability to act in accordance with the principles of free, rational agency.
Experience Embodied reveals how early modern authors responded to this challenge, offering a new perspective on the centrality of the concept of experience in comprehending the uniquely human place in nature.
Industry Reviews
"Waldow's study is filled with careful, sustained, thought-provoking analyses that will be useful both in scholarly terms and in advanced teaching of texts [...]. It is a convincing story and one that obliges us to revisit some classics in an untraditional vein." -- Charles Wolfe, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
"Experience Embodied is a nuanced and perceptive account of several important but underappreciated aspects of early modern philosophy, and I particularly hope that other authors will further develop Waldow's emphasis on its moral dimension." -- Robert Louden, Australasian Journal of Philosophy
"Waldow's chapter on Locke offers a very valuable contribution to existing scholarship on the topic and I hope it stimulates further discussion of how Locke's views on education are related with his views on personhood and moral agency." -- Ruth Boeker, International Journal of Philosophy
"Recent decades have seen increased attention to the empirical and naturalistic dimensions of Kant's philosophy, across both his theoretical and practical philosophy. Anik Waldow's impressively wide-ranging and carefully argued book [...] clearly demonstrates the fruits of this reoriented focus, not only in the case of Kant [...], but in all the embodied agency-oriented conceptions of experience that she brings to light." -- James R. O'Shea, International
Journal of Philosophy
"The case studies are noteworthy because they succeed in revealing the significance of embodied experience for the authors in question. Waldow manages to expose the significance of embodied experience by focusing on the connection between the authors' central philosophical views and their views on topics like education, the psychology of emotions, and history, which are often considered of lesser interest by contemporary philosophers." -- Dario Perinetti,
Hume Studies
