Substance Dualism

Question 1

What is substance Dualism?

Answer 1

The belief that two substances (mental and physical) exist distinctly from each other in reality and don’t rely on each other to exist. Also ontologically distinct.

Mental: Mind, which is a non physical substance( thinking thing, reason, mental events, senses)

Physical: bodies

Sub dualism claims mind to be non physical substance

Substance: doesn’t depend on anything for its existence.

Question 2

What is Descarte’s Concieveability argument?

Explain in terms of Ps and Cs

Answer 2

P1: It’s concievable that the mind can exist without body
C1: Therefore it’s possible that the mind can exist without body
C2: Therefore the mind and body exist as distinct substances

Concieve: Having a mental grasp of something

Question 3

What does Descarte believe about substance dualism?

Answer 3

He believes that the mind isn’t dependent on body for existence as its concievable, making it therefore possible
Also believes he can concieve of this clearly and distinctly,

Question 4

What is the mind without body isn’t concievable argument?

Argument against Descarte’s conciveability argument

Answer 4

Challenges P1 of Descartes argument:
Is Descartes right to claim that we can conceive of the mind being independent of body clearly and distinctly?
He assumes he can identify what it is to think from introspection
-Claims we cannot clearly and distinctly do this

Behaviourism:
argues that mind should be analysed in terms of behaviour
to talk of beliefs is to talk of how something behaves
Without a body, something can’t exhibit behaviour, and without behaviour, there isn’t a mind
mind without body is inconceivable

Question 5

What is the “What is conceivable may not be metaphysically possible” Argument?

Answer 5

-Attacks C1 inference of Descartes’s argument, whilst paralleling it
P1- I can conceive of batman as a masked crusader
P2- I can conceive of Bruce Wayne, who isn’t a masked crusader
C1-Therefore batman isn’t Bruce Wayne

Although the premises are true, the conclusion is false. Conceiving of batman not being Bruce Wayne doesn’t show how its metaphysically possible that he isn’t Bruce Wayne. From conceiving, we cannot infer that its metaphysically possible that the two people are distinct. Our ideas of reality can be mistaken.

It can be argued that the conceivability argument makes the same mistake: Just because Descartes has an idea of the mind and body being distinct substances, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re separate

Question 6

What is the “What is metaphysically possible tells us nothing about the real world” argument?

Answer 6

Assume whatever we can clearly and distinctively conceive is metaphysically possible

1)If Descartes is right about clear and distinct ideas, its metaphysically possible that mind and body are distinct substances

2)Equally, its metaphysically possible that thought and extension are two properties of a single substance

3)What we need to know is the true option in the actual world. Knowing what’s metaphysically possible doesn’t tell us which possibility correctly describes reality

4) Just because its metaphysically possible for mental and body to be separate substances, doesn’t show that they are

Question 7

What is Descarte’s Indivisibility argument?

Argument for Substance Dualism

Answer 7

The mind/ body have different essential properties (thought and extension, with thought understood as consciousness and extension as taking up space)
Descartes claims this provides an argument as the mind and the body aren’t the same as they have different essential properties, unlike physical objects the mind cannot be divided and doesn’t have any parts

For example

Willing, understanding, percieving are properties of the mind, which are different ways of thinking
the body is divisible into parts ( you can lose a limb)
The mind cannot be divided
Therefore mind and body are distinct from each other

Question 8

What is the “Mind is divisible in some sense” response?

(To the indivisibilty argument)

Answer 8

Argument aims to prove that the mind is divisible
For example, cases of mental illness such as multiple personality disorder can suggest the mind can be divided
Some parts of a persons mind are unable to communicate with other parts, which makes it divisible

Question 9

What is Descartes reply to the “Mind is divisible in some sense” response?

counter-counter

Answer 9

The body is spatially divisible, the mind is only functionally divisible
The different parts of the mind do different things, but aren’t in a different spatial location
This means that the argument that mind and body are different things still stands