Rene Descartes in Philosophy - the Distinction between Mind and Body - Essay Example

Descartes Meditations Descartes Meditations This essay will attempt to examine one of the greatest legacies of Rene Descartes inPhilosophy, the distinction between mind and body. Rene Descartes was the first philosopher to conclude that the mind is distinct and different from the body. This paper will endeavor to examine the arguments he put forward to illustrate his conclusion. The mind-body argument is found in Descartes’ Meditations on first Philosophy. This is a treatise by Rene Descartes that was published in 1641. The book contains six different meditations and opens with Descartes discarding away all information and knowledge he had ever known before. This laid ground for him to begin a new search for knowledge and wisdom. The distinction between mind and body and the existence of other material things is the last piece of meditation in the book (Rozemond, 2006). The sixth meditation deals with the existence of material things and the difference between mind and body. This meditation has two main arguments that Descartes uses to prove that the mind and the body are two distinct realities. The first argument states that since it is possible to conceive the mind and the body as two different things, God can cause them to exist independently. This argument fulfils the traditional criteria for metaphysical real distinctions. The second argument states that while the body is divisible, infinite and extended in to space, the mind is unitary, indivisible and un-extended in to space. These two distinct natures of mind and body distinguish the two elements as distinct and independent realities. In this meditation, Descartes attempts to find proof about whether material things can exist out of self and God. He then proceeds to prove that the mind is distinct from the body. With regard to the latter, Descartes begins his proof by asserting that God is capable of creating anything that Descartes himself can clearly and distinctly perceive. He follows this argument by stating that if God is capable of creating things that are independent of the other, then such things are distinct and different from each other. Following this, Descartes stated that he clearly understood his existence as a thinking thing which does not necessarily require a boy in order to function (Rozemond, 2006). Based on this assertion, he explained that God can therefore create a thinking thing that is independent of a body. Descartes also argued that he clearly understood the existence of his body as an extended thing, which is independent of the mind. This argument led to a conclusion that if God can create a mind that is independent of the body, then the two substances are essentially different from each other and represent two different realities (Rozemond, 2006). The fact that Descartes is able to think that he can exist without his body can also be a proof for the distinction between mind and body. Following this argument, Descartes was able to conclude that there are three main types of reality; God, Mind and material things. God represents infinite reality while both the mind and material things represent finite reality (Rozemond, 2006). Descartes’ distinction of mind and body is grounded on the principle that if two or more things are the same, then they should have the same properties. This principle was later on expanded by subsequent philosophers such as Leibniz. Descartes was able to prove that mind and body do not share any properties thereby leading to a conclusion that they are distinct realities. While the body is extended in to space, the mind is not. He also argued that one cannot be sure whether his body exists or not, but one could never doubt that their mind exists (Rozemond, 2006). This is a distinction from knowledge that claims that since one cannot have full knowledge of the existence of their own bodies, while the same cannot be said of the mind, the two elements are distinct from each other. It is easy for one to be deceived about existence of his or her body through magic that creates a different perception. It is not possible to doubt the existence of one’s mind as a thinking being (Rozemond, 2006). Descartes also described the human body as working like a machine. The body therefore has material or physical properties that enable it to function like a machine. The mind, on the other hand, is a non-material thing that does not follow natural laws it its normal functioning (Rozemond, 2006). The mind and body distinction is known as dualism in modern philosophy. Descartes argued that mind and body were distinct from each other in their very own nature. According to him, the nature of the mind is that of a non-extended and thinking thing, while that of the body is extended and non-thinking (Rozemond, 2006). This argument therefore presupposes that the mind and the body can be separate from each other. This argument has led to another philosophical problem in modern philosophy, that of mind and body causal interaction. This problem questions how one’s mind can cause his or her body to function as it does, for instance, by causing limbs to move and walk from place to place. The problems also raises concern over how one’s sensory organs in the body can cause different sensations in the mind. While these questions remain unresolved in modern philosophy, the impact of Rene Descartes’ Argument cannot be understated in philosophy. Despite igniting some counter arguments and establishing what is now known as the mind-body problem in modern philosophy, Cartesian dualism has its own advantages. First and understanding of the mind-body distinction in Cartesian terms helps to establish independence between the spiritual real and the material realm. This distinction helps scientists to focus on studying material reality while leaving spiritual reality to religion. Scientists can now exclusively use mechanistic approaches in explaining physical events without any fear of contradiction with spiritual realities because the two entities are distinct from each other. Cartesian dualism also acts as a link between science and religion. The mind-body distinction seems to agree with most religious teachings that focus on immortality of souls. According to these teachings, the soul or mind is different from the body and remains immortal at the point of one’s death. References Rozemond, M. (2006). “The Nature of the Mind,” in Blackwell Guide to Descartes Meditations, ed. Stephen Gaukroger. Oxford: Blackwell. Read More