Cartesian Dualism: The Mind And Body

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Recommended: Describes ideas of the mind and body

Cartesian dualism refers to the notion that the human being consists of two distinct

substances – the mind and the body. Today this idea is taken for granted, so it is difficult to

imagine that when it is was first theorized by Rene Descartes; it was a truly revolutionary idea.

According to Descartes, the mind and body are two essentially different things that causally

interact. The mind is an immaterial thing responsible for thought that is somehow connected to

the body - a material thing, through which sense perception is possible. In this paper, I will be

analyzing Descartes’ understanding of the relationship between the mind and the body and how

it is problematic.

Descartes is led to insist on the duality of the mind and the body after acknowledging …show more content…

It is essential to Descartes argument that the mind and body are separate that the mind and body

be both clear and distinct ideas. Thus, Descartes proves that the mind can exist independently of

the body. Ultimately, it is the same clarity and distinctness that serves to distinguish the mind

from the body that unites them together as one clear and distinct idea linked to another.

Descartes argues that the mind, an immaterial thing interacts causally with the body, a

material thing. Due to his belief that dualistic interactionism is unique to human beings, it makes

sense that it is difficult for Descartes to make an analogy to illustrate how the mind and body

interact. Descartes compares the mind lodged inside the body to a pilot in a vessel, when he feels

pain or hunger if his mind and body aren’t inextricably united he would simply be aware

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