"The Saturated Phenomena" (Marion)

Greetings readers,

Yes, today I will be using something that is not Freestyle Lyric Poetry to express a point, and I will be writing in sentences. :) Yay!! (as much as that style of writing is cool, it's not my particular strength I don't think.) Now, I want to talk about a strange concept in philosophy, or at least when it first appears, namely, the inversion of subject and object. The subject being the human self which observes phenomena, and objects which are phenomena, (which includes things, events, etc.) However, there are certain times that instead of observing phenomena subjects are actually overtaken by phenomena. Marion lists 4 types of Saturated Phenomenon: a) the event; b) the idol; c) flesh; d) the icon. These four types of phenomenon explain interactions where objects affect the subject more then simply being there.

A: The event. Events are saturated phenomena because the object involved is something which affects the subject and ultimately builds the self. Events affect and build sensitivities for people which in turn affects people as they look at future phenomenon. The subject takes in events based on past experience, but also can be changed by events in unforeseen ways. A good example of this is examining conversion experiences. When people have a dramatic conversion experience people do not foresee this consequence going in, but something in the event stimulates the self to react. This reaction causes growth toward something different and the event will be remembered as a key event in the life of the self. (Events include many things, speeches, movies, video games, music, etc.)

B: The idol: The idol captivates the subject because it possesses the person with an image of the divine in something concrete. The idol then captivates the self because the image of the divine affects how a self receives phenomenon. If an image of God is created (particularly in statues, but also in word images people use of God) then people influence their actions based on that image of God. For example, if people are given and receive an image of God as powerful and judgmental, then people's actions will be affected by that image. (There are many possible effects which this could have, but this is outside the scope of this entry.)

C: Flesh: "Flesh is that which feels itself feeling." (Marion, The Erotic Phenomenon) It is different from a body because the body is the object which can only be felt. Flesh is the source of overwhelming stimulation because everything which feels and feels itself feeling stimulates the senses in ways the subject does not control. For example, if you touch something hot unexpectedly, you quickly pull your hand away, but you don't rationally pull your hand away. The flesh feels something hot and pulls itself away on reflex with no thought.

D: Icon: The icon is also related to the divine like the idol but the icon has a different purpose. The icon does not build an image of God but rather provokes reflection of the infiniteness of God. This can be done in artwork, stained glass images, and various other things. (Honestly, the icon is complicated because it's not an idol but it's similar.)

The inversion of subject and object is important because it builds philosophies of conscience because it shows how people interact with being but also how being interacts with people. Conscience is affected because it must add to its examination how being affects the sensitivities of the self which affect the reception of being (particularly with events, but the flesh and idols also affect this, especially when language is considered.) (yes, outside of my thesis, conscience has become my new research buddy.) Manipulation is something which also is affected by these thoughts because people can use these saturated phenomena (knowingly or unknowingly) to affect the sensitivities of others. (hehhee more ideas for more posts.) I hope you've all enjoyed the read.

Aristocrates