Dualism Flashcards
substance dualism (Descartes)
mind (res cogitans) and body (res extensa) are distinct
Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia’s interaction problem
how can a non- physical mind move a physical body
Property dualism
mental states emerge from but aren’t reducible to physics
Occasionalism- Malebranche
God mediates mind- body interaction
- God is the only true cause – created things (like minds/bodies) don’t directly interact.
example to understand occasionalism
Example: When you “decide” to move your arm, it’s not you causing it – God makes it happen on the occasion of your thought
criticism of occasionalism - link to theodicy
if God causes everything, is he responsible for evil
- makes God micro- manager, why design. world that need constant fixing
Neuroscience rebuttal
Brain damage alters personality → mind depends on brain (e.g., Phineas Gage).
