Abstract

Debates about mind–body dualism have become increasingly important in Chinese and comparative philosophy in recent years. Much of the discourse of mind–body dualism uses a problematic binary, without acknowledgment of the very separate roles of “mind” and “spirit.” This chapter outlines five overlapping intellectual and disciplinary perspectives that address problems of mind and body: (1) studies of concepts of the body (Chinese _shēnti guan_ 身體觀 ) or embodiment; (2) studies of the emotions, including their relations to cognition and to embodiment, across a range of disciplines; (3) studies of the mind in the context of self-cultivation, often within the disciplines of ethics or philosophy; (4) studies of broader issues of selfhood, personhood, and, in some cases, autonomy, often within the discipline of philosophy; and (5) studies of mind–body dualism. Some of these perspectives include discussion of conceptual or root metaphors. Two sections focus on problems with mind–body dualism and propose an alternative view of a tripartite self. The chapter concludes with the plan of this book and how it attempts to address these questions.