Philosophy 1000

Olivia Winters
4/28/16
Rene Descartes: Mind-Body Dualism

What is the relationship of the body to the mind? One of the greatest and
most complex philosophies of Descartes is his thesis that the mind-body are
distinct; This is known as mind-body dualism.

Descartes came to his conclusion of

this by arguing that the mind, that is a thinking, immaterial, and non-extended
thing, is completely different and separate from the body, which is an extended and
non-thinking thing. This argument has caused much debate of how the two
substances are separate.
Many people have debated, how the mind and body can be two separate
natures or substances when they work together simultaneously. How can the mind
cause our body to move and act according to our thoughts, and how can the body
cause sensations and feelings in the mind if they are separate? Descartes said I
think therefore, I am. This famous quote proves that you cannot deny the existence
of your body and your own self, because in order to do this, you have to have a
self to do the doubting. Descartes took the two natures of mind and body and
broke them down; 3The body can be divided, a limb can be taken, a removal of a leg
can happen, however the soul, unlike the body, cannot be divided or split. The soul
lives and occupies the whole body, however by reducing the soul, in no way reduces
the soul. Descartes argues the body was procreated, as the soul was created.
Although the two natures are completely different substances, they are able to act
upon each other, the mind on the body and the body on the mind.

Descartes said 4By body I understand all that can be terminated by a certain
figure; that can be comprised in a certain place, and so fill a certain space as
therefrom to exclude every other body. One defining aspect of our bodies is that
they have dimensions, they are extended into space. Descartes give his definition of
the relationship between the mind and body in an analogy; He says 5Nature
likewise teaches me by these sensations of pain, hunger, thirst, etc., that I am not
only lodged in my body as a pilot in a vessel; but that I am besides so intimately
conjoined, and as it were intermixed with it, that my mind, and body compose a
certain unity. In essence, one thing that a pilot does is controlling the vessel, by
steering, the pilot can cause the vessel to do certain things. Taking all things into
consideration, Descartes believes that the mind is not identical to the body; This
includes certain actions like thinking and feeling. He describes bodies as an
extension and minds are not. In this case minds do not exist in space. Descartes
proves at times that bodies have an effect on the mind as at times the mind has an
effect on the body.
There have been many debates on if the mind can stand alone without the
body or if the body can continue to survive without the mind. According to
Archetypes of Wisdom by Douglas J. Soccio; 6Many religious versions on this
doctrine compare the soul to a driver and the body is compared to a car. When we
die, we get out of the car, or we trade the old body in for a new one, if we believe in
reincarnation. Descartes says Nature also teaches me by these sensations of pain,
hunger, thirst, etc, that I am not only lodged in my body as a pilot in a vessel, but
that I am very closely united to it, and so to speak so intermingled with it that I
seem to compose with it one whole. For if that were not the case, when my body is
hurt, I who am merely a thinking thing, should not feel pain, for I should perceive

this wound by the understanding only, just as a sailor perceives by sight when
something is damaged in his vessel; and when my body has need of drink or food, I
should clearly understand the fact with without being warned of it by confused
feelings of hunger and thirst. For all these sensations of hunger, thirst, pain, etc.,
are in truth none other than certain confused modes of thought which are produced
by the union and intermingling of mind and body.
7

The whole problem for Descartes was the issue of how an immaterial mind

that has no location in space can move a body that is physical and how that
physical body that occupies space can so strongly influence and affect and
immaterial mind. There have been many solutions that have been talked about
however, who can truly know which is right? For example, here are four solutions to
the mind-body problem; 8Physicalism, everything is physical, both the mind and the
body. Idealism, everything is consciousness and the physical things just happen to
be an illusion. Neutral Monism, the physical and mental substances are just two
ways of looking at the same thing. Dualism, which happens to be the most known
and talked about solution, is that the physical exists but so does the mental reality.
9

Dualism solutions to the mind-body problem starts with the argument that

mental natures are non-physical. Part of this argument that favors Dualism as a
solution is that the mental and physical natures have very different roles and
properties. The mind and body are not identical.
In conclusion, the mind-body problem has been an issue since Rene
Descartes began speaking of the differences between the mind and body. Many
philosophers have tried to tackle this subject and provide a solution to the problem.

However, just because millions of people believe something, does that necessarily
make it true?

Citations

1 - http://www.iep.utm.edu/descmind/
http://www.britannica.com/topic/mind-body-dualism
3 - http://www.custance.org/Library/MIND/chapter2.html
4- https://www3.nd.edu/~jspeaks/courses/2006-7/20208/descartes-mind-body.html
5- https://www3.nd.edu/~jspeaks/courses/2006-7/20208/descartes-mind-body.html
6- Archetypes of Wisdom, An Introduction to Philosophy by Douglas J. Soccio
7 - http://people.wku.edu/jan.garrett/120/descartes_and_dualism.htm
8- http://people.wku.edu/jan.garrett/120/descartes_and_dualism.htm
9- http://aeconomics.blogspot.com/2007/01/dualist-solutions-to-mind-bodyproblem.html