Body and Identity

Abstract

If understanding the body as an “object” raises relevant problems for consciousness studies to the point where we even doubt whether it is a legitimate exercise, what can we say about the relationship between body and individuality? Is it situated in the body? How big is it? What relationship is there between appearance and identity? What importance do various components such as the outlines of the face, comportment, outward appearance, height, voice, as well as style of dress and general panache have in communicating our sense of self-awareness? Beyond their anatomical and biological significance, the body in general and in some particular aspects of it convey very specific cultural values: these combine to define individual identity.