The Distinction Between the Mind and Body

476 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: The mind-body relationship

The Distinction Between the Mind and Body

Some would choose to declare that every human being is both a body and a mind. Both being gelled together until death, than having the mind go on to exist and the body being lifeless. A person lives throughout two collateral histories, one having to do with what happens to the body and in it, and the other being what happens in and to the mind. What happens to the body is public and what happens to the mind is private. The events which reply to the body consist of the physical world, and the events of the mind consist of the mental world. It has been argued whether a person can directly observe all or a select few of situations of one's own private history. According to the official doctrine by Descartes at least some of these situations one has direct and unchallengeable cognisance. It is ordinary to declare branching of two lives and of two worlds by stating that the things and events which belong to the physical world as well as one's own body are external. While on the other hand the work of owns mind are internal.

This c...

Show More
Related

  • John Perry A Dialogue On Personal Identity

    1153 Words  | 3 Pages

    The only logical conclusion to derive from this observation is that what we consider to be ourselves is not our bodies. As a result, an individual’s personal identity cannot be rooted in just his or her body, unlike what body theorists would like to

    Read More

  • The Mind as a Function of the Body by Richard Taylor

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    Richard Taylor explained why the body and the mind are one, and why they are not two separate substances. In the article “The Mind as a Function of the Body”, Taylor divides his article in a number of sections and explains clearly why dualism, or the theory that the mind and the body are separate is not conceivable. In one of these sections it is explained in detail the origin of why some philosophers and people believe in dualist metaphysics. As stated by Taylor “when we form an idea of a body or a physical object, what is most likely to come to mind is not some person or animal but something much simpler, such as a stone or a marble”(133). The human has the tendency to believe a physical object as simple, and not containing anything complex. A problem with believing this is that unlike a stone or a marble a human (or an animal) has a brain and the body is composed of living cells (excluding dead skin cells, hair, and nails which are dead cells). The f...

    Read More

  • Aristotle's Theory of the Soul in the De Anima

    645 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...of the body, and no problem arises of how soul and body can be united into a substantial whole: ‘there is no need to investigate whether the soul and the body are one, any more than the wax and the shape, or in general the matter of each thing and that of which it is the matter; for while “one” and “being” are said in many ways, the primary [sense] is actuality’ (De anima 2.1, 12B6–9).Many twentieth-century philosophers have been looking for just such a via media between materialism and dualism, at least for the case of the human mind; and much scholarly attention has gone into asking whether Aristotle’s view can be aligned with one of the modern alternatives, or whether it offers something preferable to any of the modern alternatives, or whether it is so bound up with a falsified Aristotelian science that it must regretfully be dismissed as no longer a live option.

    Read More

  • Mind Body Problem

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Philosophy of Mind studies the minds functions, properties, consciousness, and how the body relates to the mind. One of the main arguments taking place in these studies is the mind-body problem. To understand this, a definition of the mind in relation to the brain, and consciousness is needed. So, the mind is where thoughts, ideas, and consciousness is found. Now consciousness is the ability to be aware of one 's internal self and the environment. Thus, the mind-body problem is the issue of how the mind and the body are connected. This problem is argued and looked at from many different views, and within that dualism was born. Dualism is the idea that the mind and body can be found independent of one another, or that the mind and body could

    Read More

  • A Philosophical Criticism of Augustine and Aquinas

    1533 Words  | 4 Pages

    The relationship of the human soul and physical body is a topic that has mystified philosophers, scholars, scientists, and mankind as a whole for centuries. Human beings, who are always concerned about their place as individuals in this world, have attempted to determine the precise nature or state of the physical form. They are concerned for their well-being in this earthly environment, as well as their spiritual well-being; and most have been perturbed by the suggestion that they cannot escape the wrongs they have committed while in their physical bodies.

    Read More

  • Descartes Skepticism

    1205 Words  | 3 Pages

    The most important of these is the agency, or control, of the subject over its own mind. While it may be evident that, of course, one has control over what one thinks about, in reality, there are many cases in which thoughts arise unbidden, or a memory suddenly appears, fresh as day. A good example of this may, in fact, be dreaming. Dreaming is a case in which our psychic apparatus controls the dream, and yet, what we perceive as ‘ourselves’ in the dream does not actually have agency over the content or progression of the dream itself, nor privileged information about what events will emerge. If, according to Descartes’ method, we are to get rid of any faculty that has been shown to be not totally reliable, then we are to get rid of the faculty of agency, which of course would undermine the method of doubt, that assumes the faculty of agency precisely in order to doubt. This is one reason to render doubtful the validity of Descartes’ method, however, it is not enough to salvage external world

    Read More

  • History of Psychology

    1357 Words  | 3 Pages

    While the great philosophical distinction between mind and body in western thought can be traced to the Greeks, it is to the influential work of René Descartes, French mathematician, philosopher, and physiologist, that we owe the first systematic account of the mind/body relationship. As the 19th century progressed, the problem of the relationship of mind to brain became ever more pressing.

    Read More

  • The Mind-Body Connection

    2227 Words  | 5 Pages

    The mind has an incredible power. We see it as we go through our everyday activities, constantly displaying the wonders of logic, thought, memory and creativity. Yet, can the mind be more powerful than we know? Is it possible to reduce or even eliminate pain, illness and disease by using the natural powers it possesses? Can the mind heal?

    Read More

  • The Controversy Of Human Body And Spirit

    218 Words  | 1 Pages

    This is one of the most controversial topics that humans have been facing it for decades. I’m a believer that humans are body and spirit, and the spirit has to transcend. Religion plays a big part of who we are, how we make some decisions. It affects the way people look and live their lives, communicate with others, and how they act. As mentioned in our book, we have a system of ethical and religious beliefs and values that is transmitted to us by family members, friends, educators, religious figures, etc. This system determines our ability to resolve dilemmas and make complex ethical decisions. (Muller, 2014) I was raised Catholic and I believe that my faith and Christian principles has helped me become a better person, thought me to see

    Read More

  • The Mind-Body Connection

    1749 Words  | 4 Pages

    Overview This paper will discuss the mind-body connection and its relevance to health care professionals and to the public. It will explore the history of the mind-body connection, as well as state research that has been done on the subject. The reader will gain an understanding of the various techniques used in mind-body therapy, as well as their effectiveness. What is the Mind-Body Connection?

    Read More

  • Descartes’, Spinoza’s, and Leibniz’s Response to the Mind-Body Problem

    2994 Words  | 6 Pages

    Since Descartes many philosophers have discussed the problem of interaction between the mind and body. Philosophers have given rise to a variety of different answers to this question all with their own merits and flaws. These answers vary quite a lot. There is the idea of total separation between mind and body, championed by Descartes, which has come to be known as “Cartesian Dualism”. This, of course, gave rise to one of the many major responses to the mind-body problem which is the exact opposite of dualism; monism. Monism is the idea that mind and body one and the same thing and therefore have no need for interaction. Another major response to the problem is that given by Leibniz, more commonly known as pre-ordained harmony or monadology. Pre-ordained harmony simply states that everything that happens, happens because God ordained it to. Given the wide array of responses to the mind-body problem I will only cover those given by Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz. I will also strive to show how each of these philosophers discuss what mind and body are and how each accounts for God’s influence on the interaction of mind and body, as this is an interesting distinction between them, as well as the important question of the role of substance. This is important, I believe, because it helps to understand the dialogue between the three philosophers.

    Read More

  • The Unity Of The Mind And Body

    1744 Words  | 4 Pages

    Both Michel De Montaigne and John Donne argue that the cultivation of the mind is linked to the well being of the body. Both argue that a mind void of proper enrichment and education will lead to an unhealthy body. However, Montaigne argues that the appropriate means of 'education and enrichment'; are studying and following the works of other great thinkers of history. Additionally, Montaigne declares imagination to be the impetus for the downfall of the body. Conversely, Donne argues that a mind groomed in imagination is the proper mode of finding bodily health. In their writings, both Montaigne and Donne are seeking a unity between the mind and the body. By comparing Montaigne's Essays and the poetry of Donne, it is evident that the means for unifying the mind and body can vary for different people.

    Read More

  • The Bigst Lie Essay: The World's Biggest Lie

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    It seems that the mind is associated with only voluntary action such as feelings, movement, and many more functions. Therefore, the definition of the mind can be considered the conscious side and the body is the

    Read More

  • A.I. Film Analysis

    1587 Words  | 4 Pages

    But, “human persons have an ‘inner’ dimension that is just as important as the ‘outer’ embodiment” (Cortez, 71). The “inner” element cannot be wholly explained by the “outer” embodiment, but it does give rise to inimitable facets of the human life, such as human dignity and personal identity. The mind-body problem entails two theories, dualism and physicalism. Dualism contends that distinct mental and physical realms exist, and they both must be taken into account. Its counterpart (weak) physicalism views the human as being completely bodily and physical, encompassing no non-physical, or spiritual, substances.

    Read More

  • Exploring the Concept of 'Self' in Modern Philosophy

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...have struggled with the nature of human beings, especially with the concept of “self”. What Plato called “soul, Descartes named the “mind”, while Hume used the term “self”. This self, often visible during hardships, is what one can be certain of, whose existence is undoubtable. Descartes’s “I think, therefore I am” concept of transcendental self with just the conscious mind is too simplistic to capture the whole of one’s self. Similarly, the empirical self’s idea of brain in charge of one’s self also shows a narrow perspective. Hume’s bundle theory seeks to provide the distinction by claiming that a self is merely a habitual way of discussing certain perceptions. Although the idea of self is well established, philosophical insight still sees that there is no clear presentation of essential self and thus fails to prove that the true, essential self really exists.

    Read More

More about The Distinction Between the Mind and Body

Open Document