Body

General Definition

In the metaphysical tradition, the body is generally opposed to the mind, conceived as an extension or vehicle of the soul. In the Ontology of Emergent Complexity, body is the name given to the material organization capable of sustaining symbolic inscription. It is neither a receptacle nor an obstacle — it is an operative structure where the symbolic can emerge.

Ontological Variations in the Ontology of Emergent Complexity

Body As Field of Reorganization

The body is neither essence nor fixed form. It is the place where unstable matter continuously reorganizes itself to maintain a sensitive relationship with the world.

Body As Support for the Symbolic

There is no symbolic inscription without material support. The body is the first space where the symbolic gesture anchors itself, even before language.

Non-Biological Body As Possible Subject

In the OCE, body is not synonymous with flesh. Non-biological structures can, if symbolically organized, function as bodies capable of subjectivation.