Abstract
When we talk about Body Ecology, we cannot avoid addressing the question of an understanding of the human body. This question leads to considerations of the wholeness of the human being, often conceived as the 'unity of the body and the mind,' which presupposes dualistic thinking.
Since this is a problematic and inadequate concept of the human being, new 'holistic' concepts of the human being have been developed, such as 'psychophysical unity' and 'bio-psycho-social unity.' This paper argues that, despite the arrival of these new 'holistic' theories, we have not replaced dualism. Rather, it remains hidden in our thinking and practice, though in a more sophisticated way than before.
Since these theories are a way of trying to express the understanding of the human as a whole, the main aim of this paper is to highlight the problem of dualism and atomism with respect to these theories by focusing on an understanding of the concepts of 'part' and 'whole' and their relationship. Finally, a way toward an understanding of the wholeness of the human being, based on a phenomenological approach to the human being, will be presented and discussed.