Philosophy Wire: Autism. Smelling the opposites…

Autism typically involves the inability to read social cues. We most often associate this with visual difficulty in interpreting facial expression, but new research at the Weizmann Institute of Science suggests that the sense of smell may also play a central role in autism. As reported in Nature Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers show that people on the autism spectrum have different - and even opposite - reactions to odors produced by the human body. These odors are ones that we are unaware of smelling, but which are, nonetheless, a part of the nonverbal communication that takes place between people, and which have been shown to affect our moods and behavior. Their findings may provide a unique window on autism, including, possibly, on the underlying developmental malfunctions in the disorder. [1] Smelling the same. Smelling the opposite. Makes no difference. The jasmine will be there anyway. Casting fear. Spreading love and nostalgia. All at the same time. Smell the jasmine. It is not the jasmine smelling. It is you…

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Philosophy Wire: Autism! Not a disease!

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2017-05-28]:

Autism Speaks, one of the largest organization dedicated to autism advocacy and science, recently updated its mission statement for the first time since its founding in 2005. They dropped the word “cure”. “The organization grew to believe that autism is something to be worked with for promoting fulfilling and productive lives, rather than something that has to be done to”, board of directors member Stephen Shore told The Huffington Post. [1]

The day Aristotle invented logic and the notions of “right” and “wrong” the world was destroyed. The moment society was divided into “sick” and “healthy” people we lost the philosophical innocence which allowed us for so many years to look at the stars. Down here on earth, not in the sky above… [image with kid with autism]

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Philosophy Wire: What do you see? Does it matter?

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2015-12-27]: It seems that people with autism focus on different parts of a picture than people without that disease. [1] We try to see what others see so that we can understand them. But does it matter? How short-sighted is looking at what they see, as if we are optical devices needing calibration? What we see is a result of what we want to see. What we see is a result of what we already feel. Hug a kid with autism. And you will see clearly what it sees. When hearts touch each other, eyes are redundant. Search for the most important things or moments in your life. And you will “see” that what is important in them cannot be “seen”.

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Philosophy Wire: Autism, synapses, black, white.

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2014-10-03]: Children with autism have more nerve synapses in their brain. [1] Is it possible that we with the LESS synapses regard people with MORE synapses as "problematic" and "non healthy"? How arrogant can we be? How blind? See black as white and white as black and you will suddenly realize the world is not as you think it is. Stay humble. Only then will you be god.

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