The Philosophical Area Of Dualism Essay - 2267 Words

‘I Rightly Conclude That My Essence Consists Solely In The Fact That I Am A Thinking Thing.’ How Does Descartes Argue For This Conclusion? Is He Right That Our Essence Cannot Be Physical? In the philosophical area of dualism, the positions that mental phenomena are, in some respects, non-physical, or that the mind and body are not identical are investigated. In Descartes’ Meditations II and VI, he stated â€Å"I consider myself as having a face, hands, arms, and all that system of members composed on bones and flesh as seen in a corpse which I designated by the name body† (Descartes 1641, 9). Even with this information, he concluded that his â€Å"essence consists solely in the fact that (he) is a thinking thing† (Descartes 1641, 28). It is obvious that he assumes that his essence cannot be physical, even though he possesses physicality, but that there is more to his existence than just the ownership of a body. Throughout Meditation II and Meditation VI from Meditations on First Philosophy, he argues his conclusion by the use of various examples and thoughts of his own to highlight that he believes that we do exist, that people contain a deeper be ing in their soul (which, can be argued, is where essence is found), and how the mind and body works when it comes to gaining experience and feeling sensations. In this paper, I will define pertinent lexicon terms as they are used in the bounds of Descartes’ Meditation II and Meditation VI from Meditations on First Philosophy to allow forShow MoreRelatedThe Mind Body Problem : Phineas Gage1489 Words   |  6 Pagesobject that pierces an area of your brain. Those who have had a frontal lobotomy, whether purposefully or not, have had their personality changed permanently. An unlucky foreman of the Rutland Railroad, Phineas Gage, was on the receiving end of a tragic occurrence that severed the frontal lobe area of his prefrontal cortex. He underwent the experience of having a railroad spike pierce him beneath his left cheek and exit through his skull, consequently injuring an important area of his brain. This occurrenceRead MoreThe Concept of Dualism Essay1013 Words   |  5 Pagesmachinequot; form of substance dualism best solves the mind body problem. My views in this area have been influenced by my twelve years of Catholic education. The soul, or mind, depending on your level of belief, was a complete and separate entity and was the center of a human being. The body was an ambulatory device that the soul directed. The idea that the mind is a separate entity and that it is independent of the physical body is the central point of substance dualism. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Read MorePhilosophy C100 Quiz 121572 Words   |  7 Pagesphilein (to love) and sophia (knowledge or wisdom).    X | True |    | False | 2.    Which of the following is a philosophical question:    | Is there a God? |    | Does the end justify the means? |    | What form of government is best? |    | What is Time? |   X | All of the above. | 3.   An argument is a reason for accepting a position.    X | True |    | False | 4.    The area of philosophy concerned with values includes    | Ethics |    | Aesthetics |    | Social/political philosophyRead MoreCartesian Dualism And Transhumanism : Theories Within Their Time Contexts1510 Words   |  7 PagesCartesian dualism and transhumanism are both controversial theories within their time contexts. Leahey (2004) describes Descartes dualism as the separation of the body and the soul. The soul is immaterial and is the location for thought, consciousness, and the Cartesian Theatre, and controls the actions of the material body. Transhumanism theorises that technology will enhance and supersede human evolution (Elkins 2011,) as technology will become an extension of ourselves, or already is. I will exploreRead More1.Explain Some Of The Benefits A Student May Gain By Studying1290 Words   |  6 Pagessharper focus and provide a foundation for the answers we are looking for (Pg.2). 3. Explain how critical thinking can be used to analyze a philosophical issue. Critical thinking is the engagement of the thinker in rational deliberation, investigation of facts and reasons, and the evaluation of arguments. Critical thinking is required in order to analyze philosophical issues. Critical thinking is what is required to efficiently analyze, investigate, and evaluate a situation (pg.7) 4. Compare and contrastRead MoreBenefits A Student May Gain By Studying Philosophy Essay1298 Words   |  6 Pagescritical thinking skills and listen to other students’ opinions and answers to learn from one another and open the door to becoming open-minded individuals. 3. Explain how critical thinking can be used to analyze a philosophical issue. Critical thinking can be used to analyze a philosophical issue so that way we can carefully reason, look at the similarities and differences of an issue and use rationality. Critical thinking is essential in philosophy because the questions that are introduced involveRead MoreThe Mind And The Brain1053 Words   |  5 Pagesknow-how with knowing-that. Again, we are left with the question of whether or not the mind is the brain or if the mind is a completely separate entity in itself. In order to figure this, very difficult and confusing question out, an overview of some philosophical theories can be made, along with an assessment of some scientific discoveries that could possibly hold the truth, and finally revealing the truth of the question. Is it possible that, the mind or the brain could exist with the extinction of theRead MoreThe Mind-Body Problem of Physicalism1731 Words   |  7 Pagesphilosophy has held, with Renà © Descartes, that the mind must be a non-bodily entity: a soul or mental substance. This thesis is called ‘substance dualism’ (or ‘Cartesian dualism’) because it says that there are two kinds of substance in the world, mental and physical or material. The philosophical rival of dualists have been the philosophical doctrine of monism. Monism denies that minds and their bodies are distinct substances. Monists assert that substances are all of one kind. They could sayRead MoreA Relationship Between Physical Properties And Mental Properties1399 Words   |  6 Pagesthoughts emerged: Monism and Dualism. People who subscribe to monism believe physical properties, such as color and location, as well as mental properties, such as emotions and beliefs, are all one entity. Materi alisms, the most popular form of monism, claims that everything mental is also physical. On the other end of the spectrum, Dualists believe that physical and mental properties are two separate entities. This paper will address the merits of interactionist substance dualism (interactionism) and epiphenomenalistRead MoreThe Dualists Essay1846 Words   |  8 Pagesdifferent philosophical theories that try to posit our existentiality. Consequently, these theorists try to find the answers to the causality of how the mind and the brain truly interact: Are we our synapses, or are we something more than that? However, one theory that has been of interest to many recent scientists and philosophers alike is one that has been around since its conception by a famous mathematician and philosopher named Rene Descartes. This theory is called substance dualism; and accordingly