Your complimentary articles

You’ve read all of your complimentary articles for this month. To have complete access to the thousands of philosophy articles on this site, please

If you are a subscriber please sign in to your account.

To buy or renew a subscription please visit the Shop.

If you are a print subscriber you can contact us to create an online account.

Tallis in Wonderland

The Riddle of the Sphincter

Raymond Tallis reflects on embodiment.

We are all familiar with the so-called ‘Riddle of the Sphinx’, or think we are. There is, however, something more mysterious than that riddle. It is the Riddle of the Sphincter, or, more precisely, the Riddle of the Two Sphincters. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Oedipus & the Sphinx by Gustave Moreau.

…