My Body is the Subject’s Body. In Defence of Experientialism about the Sense of Bodily Ownership

Abstract

In this dissertation the feasibility of Experientialism about the sense of bodily ownership (SBO) is explored and defended. An original experientialist proposal on the SBO is presented. On this view, for a subject to have a SBO is for her to be aware of (A) the experience-dependency of the properties involved in the content of somatosensory experiences; and (B) the relevant experiences as being her own. Clause (B) of the view requires acknowledging the existence of a sense of experience ownership (SEO). In the first half of the dissertation (Chapter 1 and Chapter 2) I argue for the plausibility of this sort of approach by motivating the idea that there are explanatory relations between the SBO and the SEO, and criticising some rival views on the SBO. In the second half of the thesis (Chapter 3 and Chapter 4) I substantiate and defend my proposal.

En aquesta tesi s’explora i es defensa la viabilitat de l’Experiencialisme sobre el sentit de propietat sobre el cos (sense of bodily ownership; SBO). Es presenta una proposta experiencialista de l’SBO. Segons aquesta proposta, un subjecte té SBO si i només si s’adona (A) de la dependència de l’experiència de les propietats involucrades en el contingut de les experiències somatosensorials; i (B) que les experiències somatosensorials rellevants són seves. La clàusula (B) demana el reconeixement de l’existència d’un sentit de propietat sobre les experiències (sense of experience ownership; SEO). A la primera meitat de la tesi (Capítol 1 i Capítol 2) s’argumenta a favor de la plausibilitat d’aquest tipus de proposta, motivant la idea que hi ha relacions explicatives entre SBO i SEO, i criticant algunes teories rivals sobre l’SBO. A la segona part de la tesi (Capítol 3 i Capítol 4) es desenvolupa i es defensa la proposta.