The solutions to the body and mind problem - Essay Example

The solutions to the body and mind problem Introduction Rene Descartes is known for a number of his philosophical thesis and discourse but one of the most controversial and most discussed theses is the theory of the mind and bod. According to Descartes, the mind and the body are very distinct in their nature, interactions and functions in the body based on his dualism theory. Descartes argues that the nature of the mind is completely different from that of the body this makes it possible for an individual to actively exist without an interaction of the entities. His argument has led to one of the most discussed problems in philosophical and other non-philosophical discourse, the problem of the body and the mind (Taylor 35). The problem of the body and the mind is description of the different opinions of different scholars on the level of interactions between the body and their collective and individual roles in the development of an individual. How exactly could the mind initiate an interaction with some parts of the body that results into movements and actions like asking questions in class? How exactly could individual sensation in other parts of the body stimulate the mind while their natures were identical and different based on Descartes’ dualism? Different philosophers have made different desperate attempts and sociologists to solve the body and mind problem and this paper will discuss the various attempts that have been made so far and how they attempted to give a conclusive answer to these questions (Taylor 33). Solutions to the body and mind problem, their weaknesses and strengths Descartes believed that the body and the mind were two independent faculties and only one substance existed which was united and that was god. The existence of finite substance therefore depended on the mercies of God to exist and to function well. The mind is however nonphysical occupies no space and is only manifested by the behaviors of the individual who owns it. The body also has a three-dimensional view making it possible to divide into three symmetrical parts, which are the mind, does not occupy any space and lacks a basis for division (Taylor 30). The concept of dualism as advanced by Descartes however have a number of problems as its notion that the mind is non-physical and immaterial makes the notion of zombies and mutants immaterial. However, these notions have been proved to be possible and therefore weaken Descartes hypothesis and solution to the body and mind problem. Descartes idea of dualism also conflicts with the area of metaphysics that makes the dualism argument to have two faces of conflicts that are the general and specific worries. The generation of separate but equal forces of reality has presented another front for the rejection of dualism as the forces are spiritual and thus possess the power to alter the power perception in an individual (Popper 155) According to Taylor (25), the body is made up of mental fragments, which include the sensation, the feelings, and the initiation of thoughts imaginations, which flows like a current and a sequence, which is orderly, and also in a chaotic sequence. This is known as the conscious fragments of the mind and the non-conscious fragments are considered to include the ability of the brain to process stimuli and different levels of emotions unconsciously. The body is however constructed based on the laws of physics with components that strictly follow the physiological discourse. The determination to solve the characteristic difference of the two is responsible for the body and mind problem as highlighted by Descartes works (Sorem 38). A number of philosophers have attempted to solve the body and mind problem including Plato, Aristotle and even the Buddha philosophers. A number of attempts have been made to solve the body and mind problem with some providing satisfactory answers while others are considered as off the main discussion. The common solutions that have attempted to provide logical explanations to the problem are the dualist solutions which highlights the distinction that exist between the body and the mind but fails to address their interactions. The component of the mind is also considered as part of the body and mind problem as the mind is considered to be made up of both conscious and non-conscious components (Popper 156) According to Descartes solution to body-mind problem, a real distinction of existence must be identified to a point beyond any reasonable doubt before it can actually be conceived to occur in nature. Descartes argues that an object can exist in isolation without requiring the existence of another subsistence object for its completeness. Therefore, the body and the mind could exist in isolation without the dependence on any other creations, as their existence is not influenced by the existence of a second object. As he highlighted in his second meditation, Descartes argues that he himself is nothing but an actual thinking being that has the power to doubt, understand, affirm and even deny different things around him. Such mentality that he gives himself he argues cannot be extended to other non-thinking creations like the stones as this kind of modes can only be found in minds. A mind, Descartes argues, takes no shape, size or even quantity to any non-thinking creation as it is an independent thinking thing that is in solitary existence. As compared to the non-thinking creations, human are considered to be a combination of mind and the body and the choices that the mind make have the ability to affect the motion of parts of the body including the eye and the sensation (Sorem 38). Descartes solution to the mind and body problem has however resulted into a number of questions, as the distinction that exists between the minds of the body cannot create sensation. According to Gassendi and Elizabeth, the sensation and voluntary movements in human can only occur if there is surface and contact. The mind must therefore have a surface and capacity that allows it to initiate motion which show the level of extension between the mind and the body thus making it impossible for the mind and the body to be completely different (Popper 155). Descartes theory on dualism, which considers the brain as immaterial and thus lacking any location is space, fails to provide the manner by which the body can initiate movements if there is no correlation and association between the two. The manner by which a material that occupies space, such as the body, which is actual matter, can influence an immaterial mind has also not been highlighted by Descartes reasoning on dualism. It thus fails to address the body and mind problem conclusively as Descartes himself failed to appreciate the existence of the problem, instead arguing that it was actually a creation of the mind to perceive the existence of the problem (Sorem 36). According to Searle, the mental phenomenon is because of neurophysiological process that occurs in the brain which is actually features of the brain. Searle thus argues that the central difference in the debate on body and mind is the level of description, which can occur at either the micro, or the macro level. The concept of dualism as advanced by Descartes however have a number of problems including the non-physical and immaterial notion that makes the notion of zombies and mutants immaterial. However, these notions have been proved to be possible and therefore weaken. The generation of separate but equal forces of reality has presented another front for the rejection of dualism as the forces are spiritual and thus possess the power to alter the power perception in an individual. Creating a balancing by perceiving good and bad evil is an example of the power of such forces. It is inaccurate according to Searle to advance this argument by dividing things in the world into physical and mental as everything that actually exists is considered to possess the physical qualities. Searle thus argues that mental is also physical and the two cannot actually exist in isolation, a theory that contradicts Descartes notion on dualism and the distinction that exist on the body and mind. The common solutions that have attempted to provide logical explanations to the problem are the dualist solutions which highlights the distinction that exist between the body and the mind but fails to address their interactions. The idealist solution highlights the presence of only the mind and argues that the body is only a manifestation of the presence of the mental being itself (Popper 154). One argument that has completely discredited Rene Descartes hypothesis on dualism and the distinction that exist between the body and the mind is the idea of materialism. Under materialism, it is believed that all that exists does so only as matter and all the others are actually things made from matter whose roles are dependent. As a result, the materialism theory argues that the mind cannot be separated from the body as other immaterial entities does exist that are distinct from the brain itself (Sorem 33). The mind, even Descartes agrees is a material thing that functions through the execution of material processes thus making the mind and the brain as two objects that cannot be considered distinct. Materialism approach to solving the body and mind problem is thus a monistic view as it argues that all things are confined to one fundamental thing that is matter (Taylor 29). Dualism approach to solving the body and mind problem has been considered as successful attempt to clearly provide a solution to the body and mind problem. However, critics have highlighted some of the weaknesses of the theory in discussing the association that actually exist between the body and the mind. The casual knowledge of the interaction that occurs between the body and the mind has created room for a number of objections and this has watered down these arguments and their strengths. It is known that events occurring at the brain, which is considered as the best demonstration of the body can, affect the feelings and emotions of the mind. If we take dualism to represent the actual solution to the problem, several questions will arise that will affect the interaction of the brain and the body (Sorem 32). This is because dualism argues that the mind does not actually take physical space while the body, which is brain, is known to occupy physical space just like any other object. The main contention that arises from this argument is the nature of interaction that can exist between two entities so different that one does not occur as matter as the materialism theory posits. Dualism further argues that the mind occupies no physical space yet the brain is actually located in a physical position in the body (Popper 153). The contentions which arise on the argument from dualism that the brain and the mind affect each other despite the fact that the mind is non-existent physically makes the posit none universally accepted. In fact, as compared to the theories on materialism and Searle’s solutions to the body and mind problem, the dualism solution stands more of fictional and unacceptable. The materialism theory is therefore more acceptable and easily understandable due to the material, matter and the physical interaction that it gives the two. Works cited Popper, Karl. Knowledge and the body-mind problem: in defense of interaction. London Routledge, 2013. Print. Sorem, Erik. Searle, materialism, and the mind-body problem. The international postgraduate journal of philosophy 76(2001): 30-54. Taylor, John. A final solution to the mind-body problem. The journal of mind theory, 2.1(2012), 25-58. Print. Read More