Descartes Arguments for Substance Dualism
Does Descartes provide a convincing argument for the claim that mind and matter are distinct substances
Descartes’ Argument For Dualism
In his Meditations Rene Descartes aimed to reconstruct the whole of science by trying to prove the distinction between mind and matter. He gives an argument from doubt, and another from conceivability. I will give a brief summary of the foundations Descartes builds his thesis on, and then looking at his arguments and whether they are capable of persuading us that dualism is a logical stance to hold.
To what extent if any is Descartes successful in showing there is a real distinction between mind and body
In Descartes’ Meditations, Descartes aims to reshape the whole of science by starting from foundations that can be deductively proven. I will briefly summarise and criticise the important parts of the meditations on which his dualist argument rests and then go through each of the arguments that he raises in order to prove the distinctness of mind and body and critique each of them. I will focus on the logic behind his arguments, finding holes in his strategy and places where he fails to prove the next step. With this I will show that Descartes is not successful in showing that there is a real distinction between mind and body.
In the Meditations, Descartes aims to find a firm foundation for knowledge, to find indubitable knowledge, to refute scepticism and vindicate rationalism, and to prove the existence of God. Though a rationalist himself, Descartes assumes a sceptical approach when considering what we can be certain of. He quickly rejects a priori and a posteriori knowledge, concluding in Meditation 2, that all he can be certain of is his own existence in some form. From here he uses an ontological argument to affirm the existence of a perfect God. Using these foundations builds an argument to reconstruct science, and to show that "it is certain that this I is entirely and absolutely distinct from my body, and
Descartes’ Argument For Dualism
In his Meditations Rene Descartes aimed to reconstruct the whole of science by trying to prove the distinction between mind and matter. He gives an argument from doubt, and another from conceivability. I will give a brief summary of the foundations Descartes builds his thesis on, and then looking at his arguments and whether they are capable of persuading us that dualism is a logical stance to hold.
To what extent if any is Descartes successful in showing there is a real distinction between mind and body
In Descartes’ Meditations, Descartes aims to reshape the whole of science by starting from foundations that can be deductively proven. I will briefly summarise and criticise the important parts of the meditations on which his dualist argument rests and then go through each of the arguments that he raises in order to prove the distinctness of mind and body and critique each of them. I will focus on the logic behind his arguments, finding holes in his strategy and places where he fails to prove the next step. With this I will show that Descartes is not successful in showing that there is a real distinction between mind and body.
In the Meditations, Descartes aims to find a firm foundation for knowledge, to find indubitable knowledge, to refute scepticism and vindicate rationalism, and to prove the existence of God. Though a rationalist himself, Descartes assumes a sceptical approach when considering what we can be certain of. He quickly rejects a priori and a posteriori knowledge, concluding in Meditation 2, that all he can be certain of is his own existence in some form. From here he uses an ontological argument to affirm the existence of a perfect God. Using these foundations builds an argument to reconstruct science, and to show that "it is certain that this I is entirely and absolutely distinct from my body, and
Bibliography: Descartes, René. Oeuvres de Descartes, 11 vols. Ed. Charles Adam and Paul Tannery. Paris: Vrin/CNRS, 1964–76. Hatfield, Gary. René Descartes. Ed. Edward N. Zalta. Summer 2011. 25 February 2012 . Robinson, Howard. Dualism. Ed. Edward N. Zalta. Winter 2011. 26 February 2012 . Wilson, Catherine. Descartes 's Meditations an introduction. Cambridge: University Press, 2003.