Descartes on the Mind-Body Distinction

Paper Assignment #4

Descartes on the Mind-Body Distinction

Reading

https://www.iep.utm.edu/descmind/

Descartes Dualist thesis is that the mind and the are distinct. What this means is that the mind is non physical. The mind is distinct from anything physical.

The dualist thesis is dualist because it says the universe consists of two different kinds of things—physical and nonphysical.

Important: The brain is a part of the body. For it too is physical. If one can potentially see, hear, touch, smell or taste something, it is physical. We can see the brain through a scan. We can see the brain by cracking the head open. If we crack the head open, we can see, touch, smell, taste and feel the brain. So then, the brain is physical. Descartes thesis then is that the mind is distinct from the brain. The mind is one thing. The brain is another.

We should see that Descartes dualist thesis is controversial. According to this thesis, the mind is a real thing but is non physical. But, if it is non physical, we can’t see or touch or smell or hear or taste it. If we cannot see or touch or smell or hear or taste it, is it real?

In your paper, you will spell out Descartes’s argument for his dualist thesis. Then, you will raise an objection to it.

Your paper should have 5 parts.

I: Introduction

II: Thesis statement III: Exposition

IV: Criticism

v: Conclusion

Introduction:

Introduce the topic of your paper. It will be on Descartes’s argument for his dualist thesis. The dualist thesis is that the mind and the body are (really) distinct. That is, the mind and the body can exists independent of each

other. You will present Descartes’s argument in support of his dualist thesis. then, you will raise an objection.

Thesis:

The thesis statement is one simple clear statement. Your thesis should be that Descartes’s argument for his dualist position is unsound.

To say an argument is unsound is to say that it is not good. An argument is unsound or no good iff it does not prove what it is supposed to prove. There is a problem with the argument.

Exposition:

Here you will present Descartes’s argument for his dualist position. He argues that the mind and the body are “really distinct”. That is, there is a “real” distinction between the mind and the body.

When he says the mind and the body are distinct, he means that they are “really” distinct. What does it mean to say the mind and the Body are really distinct?

Look at the 2nd version of his argument.

Present that version of the argument in the exposition. State the premises of the argument.

P1: I understand the mind to be indivisible by its very nature P2: I understand the body to be divisible by its very nature C: The mind is completely different from the body

Then, provide discussion for the two premises. Why should we say the mind, by itself nature, is indivisible?

Why should we say the body, by its very nature, is divisible?

Criticism:

Raise on objection to the argument. Raise an objection to either P1 or to P2 but not both. Raise only one objection to only one part of the argument.

After you raise your objection, respond to your objection on Descartes’s behalf. What would Descartes say in response to your objection to his argument.

Then, offer a response to Descartes.

Conclusion:

State one lesson you learned from writing your paper or one lesson the reader should have learned from reading your paper.