Markku Roinila Philosophy of Dreams and Sleeping: 18th-early
20th century views
Slide 2
Continuation and variation Whereas the Early Modern
philosophers discussed more or less of the same problems posed by
Descartes, in Enlightment and German idealism there are really not
new themes. Philosophers discussed various old problems, sometimes
giving them new solutions and variations to old solutions. A good
example is the divination-theory. Being secular philosophers, the
Enlightenment thinkers opposed the idea and tried to explain the
dreams by natural causes. For this reason one common theme is the
somatic theory of dreams. Many Enlightenment thinkers and Kant
thought, following Hobbes, that dreams follow from somatic impulses
like stomac problems or digestion. Hobbes (and Aristotle) was also
central influence in that dreams were seen as product of
imagination. For example, Hartley wrote: Dreams are nothing but the
imaginations, fancies or reveries of a sleeping man (Observations,
I.iii.5) they are founded on somatic impulses, the state of the
body. Excess of imaginations was commonly seen as madness so if the
dreaming continues in waking state, there is a mental illness.
Slide 3
Voltaire Voltaire (Franois-Marie Arouet, 1694-1778) thinks that
predictive or prophetic conception of dreams is pure superstition
and bullshit. Supported the somatic theory of Hobbes argues that
often dreams result from the excess of the passions of the soul.
Keyword Somnabulists and Dreamers in Philosophical Dictionary
(1764)
Slide 4
Voltaire on creative dreams However, Voltaire has a seemingly
contradictory view to the somatic theory: he argues that we often
utilize in the dreams our highest rational abilities. Like Leibniz,
Voltaire thought that one can make judgements in dreams and once
can be creative in dreams. In Somnabulists and Dreamers he
describes a theology student: You, Mr. Seminarist, born with the
gift of imitation, you have listened to some hundred sermons, and
your brain is prepared to make them: moved by the talent of
imitation, you have written them waking; and you are led by the
same talent and impulse when you are asleep. But how have you been
able to become a preacher in a dream? You went to sleep, without
any desire to preach. Remember well the first time that you were
led to compose the sketch of a sermon while awake. You thought not
of it a quarter of an hour before; but seated in your chamber,
occupied in a reverie without any determinate ideas, your memory
recalls, without your will interfering, the remembrance of a
certain holiday; this holiday reminds you that sermons are
delivered on that day; you remember a text; this text suggests an
exordium; pens, ink, and paper, are lying near you; and you begin
to write things you had not the least previous intention of
writing. Voltaire is sceptical against Descartess dream argument:
Explain to me an animal who is a mere machine one-half of his life,
and who changes his nature twice every twenty-four hours.
Slide 5
Voltaire: Letter On Dreams To The Editor Of The Literary
Gazette, August, 1764. Every dream of a forcible nature is produced
by some excess, either in the passions of the soul, or the
nourishment of the body; it seems as if nature intended to punish
us for them, by suggesting ideas, and making us think in spite of
ourselves. We must acknowledge, with Petronius, Quid-quid luce
fuit, tenebris agit. [what happens in the light, continues its
existence in the darkness]. I have known advocates who have pleaded
in dreams; mathematicians who have sought to solve problems; and
poets who have composed verses. I have made some myself, which are
very passable. It is therefore incontestable, that consecutive
ideas occur in sleep, as well as when we are awake, which ideas as
certainly come in spite of us. We think while sleeping, as we move
in our beds, without our will having anything to do either in the
motive or the thought. Of Dreams Dreams have always formed a great
object of superstition, and nothing is more natural. A man deeply
affected by the sickness of his mistress dreams that he sees her
dying; she dies the next day; and of course the gods have predicted
her death.
Slide 6
Kant As Immanuel (1724-1804) Kant created a systematic new kind
of philosophy of his own, he had something to say about dreams
also. We have already discussed his early commentary on Swedenborg,
the Dreams of a spirit seer which also includes some original views
on dreams.The most original one concerns the role played by the
mind in dreaming.
Slide 7
Kant and the Somatic Theory Like Voltaire, Kant did not believe
in the divination-theory. We do not see prophetic visions or holy
enthuasism in dreams. In the Dreams of the Spirit-Seer he followed
Hobbes (and Aristotle) in thinking that dreams can be more vivid
than waking thoughts because the senses are closed down. He also
followed Hobbes in thinking that the dream images are more vivid
than images in the waking life. On the other hand, he followed
Locke in thinking that when one is asleep, one is separated from
the body. According to Kant, when one wakes up, one cannot recall
the dream images as being part of the same person. Kant seems to
think that because in the sleeping state the body is not disturbing
the active mind, we can think better. He says in Dreams that those
who are sleepwalking have more intelligence than normally, although
they cannot remember anything when they wake up.
Slide 8
Dreams are not really sleeping Kant says that when we are
seeing dreams, we dot not sleep completely. We are perceiving
distinctly and turn our inner actions to impressions from outer
senses. In this way one can remember them afterwards, but they are
considered as wild and irrational imaginations, because the
fantasies and perceptions by outer senses are mixed together. In
other words, the soul is projecting itself to the dreams where
inner images and sensible external images are mixed with each
other. Because of this mixture the dreams seem strange to the
waking person. In this way it seems that the mind is active in the
process. Thus Kant seems to agree with Descartes that we are always
thinking. In Kants critical philosophy, dreams are not fully
determined by the categories, but they are connected to the
understanding: to dream or to hallucinate is necessarily to have
experience expressible in judgemental form the intentional objects
of dream are dependent on the categories in the end. In this way
dreams objects of inner sense.
Slide 9
Some other 19th century views Goethe thought that in dreams we
heal our problems, gain consolation and once we wake up, we are
joyful and ready to face the new day (compare Hobson) Ralph Waldo
Emerson emphasized the connection between dreams and character.
Dreams reflect our character, especially those characteristic which
are not notable in the behavior of the waking life. We can also
recognize in the dreams of other persons their hidden forces which
affect their behavior and in this way we can often predict their
future actions (compare Freud).
Slide 10
Henri Bergson (1859-1941) on dreams Close to Lockes theory he
thinks that there is a vast reservoir of memory fragments in us
which form the content of dreams. But Bergson gives it a Freudian
twist these fragments are forgottent, latent content of dreams.
According to Bergson, our memories form at all times a sort of
pyramid and its point penetrates to our current activities. We will
forget nothing. When I am dreaming, all these memories rise from
the cellar of our mind. Therefore there is a great difference
between the sleeping and waking state. In dreams we are indifferent
and we are interested in only somatic impulses.