PHIL 230 Minds, Brains, and Machines: Dualism's Philosophical Impact

This essay delves into the philosophical concept of dualism, examining its perspectives and impacts on society and the mind-body relationship. It explores the core idea that the mind and body are distinct entities, analyzing how this separation is perceived and the philosophical considerations surrounding it. The essay discusses Descartes' contributions, particularly Cartesian dualism, and the arguments for and against the separation of mind and body. It also considers the views of other philosophers, such as Leibniz, and addresses the challenges and criticisms of dualism, including the interaction problem and the intensional fallacy. Ultimately, the essay concludes by affirming the significance of dualism in understanding the human experience, emphasizing the interplay between the rational mind and the physical body.

Running head: PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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The following essay will look to discuss on the various perspective of dualism and its
impacts on the society and mind-body relationship. In this view, the concept of dualism has been
of the opinion that both mind and body will act as the different entities in the world. It has been
noted on several aspects that people will definitely create the differences between the mind and
body. This essay will look to give insight on the concept of dualism and how it can cater to the
understanding of the dualism within the society (Campbell: 20). The various philosophical
considerations would be discussed in this essay so the original contexts of dualism could be
understood by the readers. The body is suggested to be the physical aspects of the brain and how
it could be driven by the neurons of the brain’s structure. The deviations between mind and body
will also be shaped in this scenario also (Reynolds: 26).
The philosophical theories have worked on to view this aspect form the theoretical
situations of philosophy. The philosophical descriptions are very crucial to develop the ideas
properly. Therefore, the famous philosophers like Descartes have discussed on this perspective.
Many philosophers have provided their views on the state o dualism in philosophy. Many
opposing views have been found also (Kim: 152). Many philosophers before Descartes have
discussed on this view as well. They believed it would be better to think of body and mind as
different entities. The issues regarding the mind and body have been very relevant till today. The
Meditations on First Philosophy is very crucial to identify the issues regarding the separation of
body and mind (Campbell: 20). The formulation on this issue should be given by the experts of
philosophy and this is definitely the most crucial factor behind the identification of the historical
issues also.
The writings of Descartes in philosophy began at the time when Galileo began to shine in
the field of the natural sciences. Before that, most of the scientific works depended on the works

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of Aristotle who died long ago (Wee: 215). Various teleological arguments had also been
constructed over this issue. Here the scientists’ ad philosophers have agreed on the matter that
the human beings are the material objects. All the human beings are made of weight, solidity and
other factors. According to the views of Descartes, it can be argued that the interactions between
the mind and body will go through two way process (Campbell: 20). Descartes had presented his
arguments by saying that mind will interact with the body through the pineal gland. In the typical
sense of discussion, all the human beings are said to have the body i.e. physical and the mind i.e.
non physical (Huanning: 7).
This is the fact that can be identified as the dualism in this scenario. Some critics have
also argued on the fact that the body and mind have the same entities. This view has been
countered by saying that this factor would not at all be helpful and their roles in the human body
would be the same (Marion: 17). Therefore, it will be meaningless to have similar things in the
body doing almost the same things. This view of philosophy by Descartes has proved that the
body will be controlled by the mind and the body will do the activities that would be dictated by
the mind on various occasions (Campbell: 25). The influence is put through the rational mind
and people could act according to the recognitions made by the body. Thus, most critics and
scholars of philosophy have said that mind and body could share the uni-directional approach
(Garcia: 178).
The context of the natural world should be discussed because Aristotle has focused on
this perspective for various reasons. Various researchers have discussed on the concept of
dualism because it has questioned many conventional issues and the daily works by people also.
The brain is an inseparable part of the body and it works like the hardware of the computer. This
is connected to the body of the human beings and these two parts should always work with each

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other. The critics have also compared the mind with the software of the computer that would
allow various programs in the body to run (Campbell: 25). Thus, dualism is in the nature of
human beings (Gellera: 189). The new ideas had been embraced by Descartes but he went on to
face a new type of problem in this regard. The natural world must be designed in a goal directed
manner and it will help the action of the human beings in all probable ways. Descartes also went
on to prove his fallacy by saying that minds cannot be directed like a body does. It is because the
direction of the body can be given through the mathematical analysis but the minds can be
directed by the final appealing approach indeed (Campbell: 25). Thus, the concept of dualism
will also become more complicated since the relations of body and mind must be directed
towards the same goal. This is the process how the overall problem of mind and body was born
(Marion: 17).
In this view, the Cartesian dualism should also be discussed as well. This is one of the
most important ways through which the method of doubt has been invoked by Descartes himself.
The solid foundation must be found out in this regard so the people should be able to address the
various issues in this relationship between the mind and the body. Many critic have also taken
the analogy of the Artificial Intelligence in this debate since it is one of the most crucial factors
behind addressing the crucial issues (Campbell: 25). The dualistic theory of Descartes is known
to be interactionism. The thinking process of the mind, imagining, rational thoughts and other
perspectives must fall within the categories of the mind. On the other hand, the body will
conform to all the laws of the physics precisely. Various critics have also raised the question on
the casual interactions and its possibilities (Kim: 25).
Descartes has also shown his doubts on the mind since he believes it will be very
problematic for the mind to gain the knowledge since that particular knowledge can just be a

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perception (Thibaut: 3). Rather, this perception can be gained from the dreams and illusions.
People can be a victim of illusion through their minds but the body will only rely on the rational
thoughts (Campbell: 28). Thus, it is certain that both mind and body are not the same things. If
they were the same on all the grounds, there would have been no utility. Descartes had even
claimed that there are some objects that could somehow escape the method of doubt from all the
perspectives.
Descartes believed the perceptual error is not possible for the body since it has its own
mechanics (Kim: 25). The concept “Cogito ergo sum” or “I think, therefore I am” is one of those
effective things that have spread through the entire world and it has stressed on the importance of
the mind and body. He believed that both the sections of human existence will not commit the
same work. Apart from that, Descartes also believed in the fact that human body will be affected
casually by the human mind (Campbell: 25). He has provided some examples in this favor also.
He believes the hand of a person can only be raised once the mind wants it to be raised. Though
the action is regarding the raising of the arm, the body has done this action because of the orders
of the mind. Both the dualistic actions of the mind and body are very much interconnected with
each other. The importance of the perception is one of those most important factors that have
caused serious problems (Marion: 17).
The problem has been addressed by other philosophers like Wilhelm Leibniz. It must be
said according to his belief that both mind and body are interrelated with each other (Ventriglio
and Bhugra: 370). H compared it two synchronized clocks that ha their origins in the harmony
i.e. already being established. This law or the theoretical aspect can be exposed as the
indiscernibility of identical. Therefore, this theory has provided the opposite directions than that
of Descartes (Kim: 25). This is why some thinkers of philosophy have asked to shun the theory

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of dualism and follow the monistic theories. Still, Descartes has gone on to find some opposing
points in this scenario. This is due to the fact that the Descartes believes that the body of humans
can be doubted but the minds cannot be. This is why the imagining capacities of the human
beings must be controlled in order to establish the distinctions between body and mind
(Hopkinso: 178).
Most philosophers have expressed their doubts on this perspective of his theory on
dualism. They believe Descartes has not been able to establish and find out the original property
of his body. The scientists or rationalists have expressed doubts over this theory by saying that if
the existence of the human bodies is doubted; it means that the human bodies are dead.
Therefore, it will not be able to think or imagine anything (Waller: 26). There are various other
arguments and logical fallacies that have been put through by various critics regarding the
activities of the body and mind. Both the activities of the body and mind can be controlled
(Hopkinso: 178). If both the parts operate in a distinct way without any sort of collaboration, no
positive outcomes can be gained from it. The intensional fallacy should also be taken under
consideration when reviewing this scenario. The doubts of th human mind are actually the
properties of the mind and body has nothing to do with it. Therefore, it is very much valid that
dualism exists among the human beings through their mind and body (Marion: 18).
The conclusion of the paper can be drawn by saying that both the mind and body are two
most important parts of the human beings. These two things have their distinct entities and this
view is the basic essence of dualism. Descartes believed in this theory through Leibniz had many
changes in this theory and stressed on monistic theories. It must be kept in the minds that the
human beings must always commit their activities on the basis of their thinking power and the
rational thoughts. However, the dualism has proved both body and mind to be dual entities in all

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the spheres.. This is how the rationalities of human beings could be discovered in a better
manner.

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References
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