descartes argument for the existence of the soul Flashcards
Descartes key quotes
“I think therefore I am” (cogito, ergo sum)
reflects certainty about existence of the thinking mind. he believed that even if everything else could be doubted or questioned the existence of thinking self ward undeniable proof of his existence as conscious being
descartes
-17th century French philosopher
-substance dualist (mind or soul diff and distinct substance from the body)
-agenda was religious
-modern philosopher in comparison to plato and aristotle
descartes essential argument
that mind and body are distinct substances with different essential properties
matter or extended substance and mind or mental substance
mind-body dualism
-descartes famously known for his dualism, which asserts the mind and the body are 2 distinct substances
-he argues that mind in. non-physical and exists independently of the body, while body is physical substance
pineal gland
-D proposed that pineal gland in Brain served at point of interaction between non-physical mind and physical body. believed gland was where mind influenced bodily functions and received sensory info
-small portion of brain that lies between two hemispheres he considered this was the point at which mind controlled body
-his suggestion obviously doesn’t work because locating mind-brain interaction anywhere in brain solves nothing
-doesnt tell us ‘how’ merely states ‘it interacts here’
animan and human souls
D also distinguished between souls and human souls .
believed animals were like complex machines, lacking rational souls
humans possessed rational souls responsible for consciousness, though and self awareness
immortality of soul
descartes believed human soul was immortal suggesting it could exist independently of the body and continue to exist after deaths
descartes first proof
the argument from doubt
‘I think therefore I am’
-I can doubt that my body exists
-but I can’t doubt that I exist as Im a thinking thing
-therefore im not identical with my body
second proof
the argument from divisibility and non-divisibility
-all bodies extended in space and therefore divisible
-minds aren’t extended in space and therefore not divisible
-minds radically difficult from bodies
just as chair can be broken a book can be ripped and spring can be permanently altered, bodies can also change .
state of mind can’t be divided in other words your mental states can increase or decrease but can’t be divided .
third proof
the argument fro clear and distinct perception
-whatever I clearly indistinctly perceive as 2 different things can be created by god as 2 diff things
-I have clear an distinct idea of myself as non-extended thinking thing
-I have the clear indistinct idea of my body as an extended non thinking thing
-so I and my body can exist apart from eachother
-so I am distinct from my body
issie of thinking mind separate
He employed the method of doubting but did not believe that he could deny his mind because he was thinking hence the synonymous phrase“I think, therefore I am”.
He suggested that he may be being deceived by an evil deceiver but stressed that he had the concept of God as a supremely perfect being implanted in his mind. Since God, being perfect, could not deceive him he could trust his mental faculties. This is known as the Cartesian Circle.
The argument is fallacious as the concept of God in his mind relies on his mental faculties being correct and his mental faculties rely on the concept of God not being some evil deceiver. The argument is therefore circular and so fails.
issue of interactionism
Descartes believed that the mind and body were two distinct substances: one of extension and divisibility, the other non-corporeal and indivisible. The issue surrounds how the two substances could be seen to interact. If the mental is non-physical then how can it ‘cause’ anything to occur?
issues with pineal gland
Firstly, he is still using a physical thing to explain the link between the mental and the body. Secondly, we now know that the pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin. and helps to control the cycle of sleep and wakefulness by secreting melatonin.
