Kaitlyn Lobsitz

Phil 204
Paper 1
Cartesian Dualism
Cartesian Dualism is a specific type of dualism which states that
the world consists of two different substances; physical and mental.
According to Descartes the physical substances, the body, and the
mental substances, the mind, are completely separate substances that
have the capability of existing without one another. Although they are
different substances that could withstand on their own, they are
connected in a way that they are able to communicate with one
another to form a single unit.
Cartesian Dualism is a type of dualism based on the mind and body
being two distinct substances. The body is made of material objects
whose essence is to be an extended thing. On the other hand, the
mind is made of non-material objects whose sole purpose to be a
thinking thing. Descartes believes that he is both a mind and a body
and believes so based on his clear and distinct senses of both. By his
senses he can perceive that he has a body, and there were other
bodies beyond his in this world. The bodies in which he gets from his
senses are much different than the images he creates in his mind.
Descartes argues that he knows for sure that external objects exist
outside of his intellect based on thoughts alone. He states that these
sensory ideas were too far advanced to have been thought of on his
own, had to come from an external source. It seemed impossible that
they should have come from within me, so the only alternative was
that they came from other things.(Pg.52) Descartes felt that his mind
could not have possibly had these ideas on its own without having
something that resembled the ideas to compare them to. This is where
Descartes begins to understand that he does indeed know there are
material bodies in the universe, and he too has an extended body that
solely belongs to him. He states that he knows his body belongs to him
because he had clear sensations from it. I was aware of pain and
pleasure tickling in parts of this body, but not in other bodies external
to it.(Pg.52) Though the world is full of external bodies all around, he
cannot feel the sensations of those other bodies, so this body in which
he perceives these feelings has to belong to him, he cannot be
separated from it. In regards to his mind, Descartes does not seem to
have doubt that his mind is his. Descartes is conscious he can think,
and reason, and his mind belongs to him solely.
Descartes states that he is aware that we consist of both mind and
body but they do exist separately. We are very closely joined with our
mind, it is what makes us a thinking thing, but our body is more like
our tool in the world. I am very closely joined and, as it were,
intermingled with it, so that I and the body form a unit. If this were not
so, I, who am nothing but a thinking thing, would not feel pain when
the body was hurt, but would perceive the damage purely by
intellect.(Pg. 56) Our bodies are what feel the sensations of the world
around us and within, but it is our minds that perceive them, without
our minds we would not be aware of the sensations. However, without
our bodies though, we would not be able to detect the outside
perceptions like Descartes mentions, we would have to rely solely on
our intellect to perceive any sensations of pain or pleasure.
While the body and mind form a single unit they can survive
without each other, they are still two very distinct substances.
Descartes uses an argument of the body being able to be divisible
while the mind cannot to show how they are two different substances.
I make at this point that there is a great difference between the mind
and the body, inasmuch as the body is by its very nature always
divisible, while the mind is utterly indivisible.(Pg. 59) The point he is
trying to make is you can take parts of the body away without it
affecting the mind what so ever. You can break down the body into
multiple parts, arms, legs, head, and the body would still be a body,
just missing a few parts. However with the mind, it is a single thing
that you cannot divide into parts and have it still be the same
functioning item that it once was. If you take the mind away or divide
up the mind, you are no longer the same thinking thing you once were.
I understand myself to be something quite single and complete(Pg.
59). The mind is a single simple complete unit that cannot be divided
up in anyway. The very fact that you can take parts of the body away
and have the mind not be affected shows that they are two very
distinct objects. If they were not distinct objects, the mind would be
greatly affected if a piece of the body were to be taken.
According to Descartes the mind and body can communicate with
one another, but all the parts do not affect them as a whole. Descartes
believes that the mind and body communicate from each other
through the brain. Just by one small part of the brain, namely the part
which is said to contain the common sense. (Pg. 59) The whole brain
does not have affect on the mind just a specific portion of the brain.
Although many people regard the brain and mind to be the same thing,
Descartes believes that the whole brain and the mind are two very
distinct objects, the brain belonging to the physical portion of the body.
The two substances must be able to communicate in one way or
another to account for the sensations felt and perceived. The mind
alone could not know if the body were hungry by intellect alone, it
would require some sort of physical sensation from the body to know to
eat. Descartes argues that the way for the mind to know that body if
feeling pain is through the motion of the nerves connected from the
limb to the brain. The sensation from the nerves will in turn affect the
mind and let it know the body has a need.
In my opinion Cartesian Dualism is an interesting theory on the
distinct substances. I feel Descartes does a good job explaining why
they should be considered to separate objects, especially when you
think of the divisible argument. I have to agree the very fact that you
can take pieces of the body away without it affecting your mind seems
like solid reason to believe that they can exist separately. However, I
do not believe Descartes does a good job explaining how the physical
and mental substances communicate. I believe there has to be
something more than motions of nerves that tell the mind the body is
in need of something. I do not think that Cartesian Dualism can be
taken too seriously without further explanation of the relationship of
the two.