Table Of ContentJANE ALEXANDRA COOK
With philosophy traditionally seen as the way to truth, wisdom and goodness, it is J
A
to metaphysics, logic and ethics that we have historically turned to solve personal, N
social, and existential dilemmas, and fi nd peace and contentment. Rarely is it noted, E
A
however, that despite two millennia of debate, philosophers have yet to produce
L
E
a coherent theory of human/worldly existence. At the same time, the global inci-
X
dence of mental illness has risen to what many see as epidemic proportions. This A
N
book argues that this is no coincidence. Its analysis of key metaphysical texts sug-
D
gests that the entire philosophical (and religious) canon has been founded upon and R
A
distorted by an Aristotelian misconception. Through its social/discursive inscrip-
C
tion, this misconceived metaphysics is disrupting the development of fe/male self-
O
hood to a degree that, under further conditions, is causing mental illness. Thus, our O
K
metaphysics is making us mad, and the more muddled it gets, the more disordered
we become. The testing of this theory via eating disorder research supports a new
S SSEEXX,, MMEETTAAPPHHYYSSIICCSS,,
‘spirogenetic’ model of subjectivity that resolves not only mental illness, but also the E
X
ancient mysteries of the Holy Grail and Philosopher’s Stone.
,
M
AANNDD MMAADDNNEESSSS
E
T
A
P
H UNVEILING THE GRAIL ON HUMAN NATURE
Y
Jane Cook was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, and has for thirty years AND MENTAL DISORDER
S
I
owned and run an organic kiwifruit and avocado farm in Tauranga, New Zealand. With C
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degrees in biological and social sciences and a PhD in philosophy she also works as a
,
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philosophical counsellor, psychotherapist, and a research associate with the Philoso-
N
phy and Societies & Cultures Departments at the University of Waikato. D
M
A
D
N
E
S
S
ISBN 978-3-0343-1411-4
www.peterlang.com PETER LANG
JANE ALEXANDRA COOK
With philosophy traditionally seen as the way to truth, wisdom and goodness, it is J
A
to metaphysics, logic and ethics that we have historically turned to solve personal, N
social, and existential dilemmas, and fi nd peace and contentment. Rarely is it noted, E
A
however, that despite two millennia of debate, philosophers have yet to produce
L
E
a coherent theory of human/worldly existence. At the same time, the global inci-
X
dence of mental illness has risen to what many see as epidemic proportions. This A
N
book argues that this is no coincidence. Its analysis of key metaphysical texts sug-
D
gests that the entire philosophical (and religious) canon has been founded upon and R
A
distorted by an Aristotelian misconception. Through its social/discursive inscrip-
C
tion, this misconceived metaphysics is disrupting the development of fe/male self-
O
hood to a degree that, under further conditions, is causing mental illness. Thus, our O
K
metaphysics is making us mad, and the more muddled it gets, the more disordered
we become. The testing of this theory via eating disorder research supports a new
S SSEEXX,, MMEETTAAPPHHYYSSIICCSS,,
‘spirogenetic’ model of subjectivity that resolves not only mental illness, but also the E
X
ancient mysteries of the Holy Grail and Philosopher’s Stone.
,
M
AANNDD MMAADDNNEESSSS
E
T
A
P
H UNVEILING THE GRAIL ON HUMAN NATURE
Y
Jane Cook was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, and has for thirty years AND MENTAL DISORDER
S
I
owned and run an organic kiwifruit and avocado farm in Tauranga, New Zealand. With C
S
degrees in biological and social sciences and a PhD in philosophy she also works as a
,
A
philosophical counsellor, psychotherapist, and a research associate with the Philoso-
N
phy and Societies & Cultures Departments at the University of Waikato. D
M
A
D
N
E
S
S
PETER LANG
Sex, MetaphySicS, and MadneSS
Jane aLeXanDra COOK
Sex, MetaphySicS,
and MadneSS
UnVeILIng tHe graIL On HUMan natUre
anD MentaL DISOrDer
Peter Lang
Bern · Berlin · Bruxelles · Frankfurt am Main · new York · Oxford · Wien
Bibliographic information published by die Deutsche nationalbibliothek
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet
at ‹http://dnb.d-nb.de›.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book
is available from The British Library, Great Britain
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cook, Jane Alexandra, 1955-
Sex, metaphysics, and madness : unveiling the grail on human nature and mental disorder
/ Jane Alexandra Cook.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-3-0343-1411-4 (pbk.) – ISBN 978-3-0351-0569-8 (eBook)
1. Mental illness–Philosophy. 2. Psychiatry–Philosophy. 3. Philosophy of mind. I. Title.
RC437.5.C657 2013
616.89001–dc23
2013016082
Front cover: The Fall – This artwork was created by research participant Lewie (aged 17)
as it depicts her experience and conception of adolescence and approaching womanhood.
ISBN 978-3-0343-1411-4 pb. ISBN 978-3-0351-0569-8 eBook
© Peter Lang AG, International Academic Publishers, Bern 2013
Hochfeldstrasse 32, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Any utilisation outside the strict limits of the copyright law, without the permission of
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Printed in Hungary
Acknowledgements
The researching and writing of this manuscript has truly been a ‘fantastic voy-
age’ made possible and enriched by the contributions of many. My grateful
thanks to the University of Waikato for the doctoral scholarship that enabled
this work, and to my chief and assistant supervisors, Drs. Tracy Bowell and
Carolyn Michelle, and all those in the Philosophy and Societies & Cultures
Departments for their knowledge, guidance, friendship, and the freedom to ex-
plore. Many thanks also to Luce Irigaray for the guidance of her writings, and
for the opportunity to attend and learn from her seminar at the University of
Nottingham in 2010, and to counsellor Wol Hansen for his advice during the
empirical research.
With love and heartfelt thanks, I dedicate this work to my family, and espe-
cially to the memory of my mother Doreen, to my partner Jan and her family,
and to all the wonderful women who participated in, and inspired the theory and
ideas behind, this (re)search. It is you who gave passion, wind, and wings to the
journey. I also dedicate this endeavour to Kayla Wright, in the hope that, one
day, things will be different.
Table of Contents
Section I: Metaphysics, Essences and Sexes
CHAPTER 1: Philosophy and its Discontents ..................................................... 13
1.1 The Problem ....................................................................................... 14
1.2 The Metaphysical Muddle ................................................................. 21
CHAPTER 2: A Genealogy of Essence ............................................................... 31
2.1 Pro-essentialist Philosophies .............................................................. 31
Plato ............................................................................................................... 31
Aristotle ......................................................................................................... 35
Saint Augustine .............................................................................................. 40
René Descartes ............................................................................................... 45
John Locke ..................................................................................................... 50
Immanuel Kant .............................................................................................. 53
Edmund Husserl ............................................................................................. 58
Saul Kripke .................................................................................................... 64
2.2 Anti-essentialist Philosophies ............................................................ 69
Heraclitus of Ephesus .................................................................................... 69
Arthur Schopenhauer ..................................................................................... 75
Friedrich Nietzsche ........................................................................................ 79
Jacques Derrida .............................................................................................. 84
CHAPTER 3: Rethinking Essence, Metaphysics & Human Subjectivity ............ 91
3.1 Deconstructing Essence ..................................................................... 91
3.2 Aristotle’s (il)Logical Misconception of Essence .............................. 94
3.3 A Trail of Misconceptions: Unveiling the Holy Grail ....................... 99
3.4 A Sexed Spirogenetic Reconception of Essence .............................. 108
Section II: Research – Is there a Spirogenetic Essence &
Essential Female Self?
CHAPTER 4: (Re-)Conceptions of Anorexia .................................................... 117
4.1 A Genealogy of (Etiologies of) Anorexia / Bulimia Nervosa .......... 119
Biomedical Approaches ............................................................................... 126
Psychological Approaches ........................................................................... 127
Cultural Approaches .................................................................................... 128
4.2 The Metaphysical/Essence Model of Anorexia ................................ 136
Other ‘Forms’ of Survival: Hysteria, Bulimia & Obesity ............................ 147
Intrafamilial & Symbolic Aspects of Anorexia ........................................... 151
Sexual & Historical Aspects of Anorexia/Bulimia ...................................... 158
CHAPTER 5: Silentstones: Real, Lost and Pretend Selves ............................... 167
5.1 Methodology .................................................................................... 168
5.2 Interviews ......................................................................................... 172
5.3 Results: Telling (Life) Stories .......................................................... 175
The Personal Self ......................................................................................... 176
The Socially (De)constructed, Fragmented Sexual Self .............................. 180
The Reconstructed, Re-formed, Pretend Self ............................................... 193
The Eating (Dis)ordered Self ....................................................................... 213
CHAPTER 6: Speakingstones ............................................................................ 261
6.1 Life Cycle of the Real Female ......................................................... 261
6.2 Interpreting Life Stories: Does the Theory Fit? ............................... 266
6.3 Situating the Essence Model of Eating Disorders ............................ 278
Reframing the Psychoanalytic Approach ..................................................... 279
Reframing Cultural & Psychological Approaches ....................................... 284
Resituating Biomedical Approaches ............................................................ 286
Relating Anorexia Mirabilis & Holy Anorexia ............................................ 289
Hunger Pains ................................................................................................ 292
The Rise & Spread of Eating Disorders ....................................................... 293
Section III:
Shattering the Philosopher’s Stone, Cracking the Holy Grail:
Reconceptions of Essence, Subjectivity, Logic & Metaphysics
CHAPTER 7: The Case For A Sexed Spirogenetic Model ................................ 297
7.1 Contemporary Manifestations of Phallo-Logical Crucifixions
of Essence and/as Woman ................................................................ 298
Ancient Inscriptions on Living Bodies ........................................................ 299
Christian & M(cid:407)ori Carvings ........................................................................ 301
Modern Incisions: Sliced, Diced & Priced ................................................... 306
Postfeminist/Postmodern Erasures ............................................................... 314
7.2 A Spirogenetic Ressurection of Essences, Essential Subjectivities
& Real-ly Logical Metaphysics ....................................................... 324
Bibliography .................................................................................................... 329
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