Substance dualism Flashcards
What is substance dualism?
Descartes argued the mind and body are two ontologically distinct properties as the body can be divided and the mind can’t.
What is Leibniz’ law?
Two things are identical if they share all the same properties
Outline Descartes’ indivisibility argument
P1. Physical substance is divisible (since it’s extended).
P2. The mind is indivisible (since it’s non-extended).
P3. Leibniz’ law is that identical things must have the same properties.
C1. The mind therefore cannot be identical with any physical substance, such as the body.
What are issues with Descartes’ indivisibility argument?
1.The mental is divisible- there is a conscious and subconscious section of the brain one you are aware of and one you aren’t so it can be divided up.
2.Not all physical is divisible- Fundamental quark atoms cannot be divided further.
3.The word substance is something associated with physical things, so ‘mental substance’ could be a linguistical error.
What is the conceivability argument?
It is conceivable for the mind to be separate from the body which means it is possible as the mind is not identical to the body.
Outline the conceivability argument in standard form
What are issues with Descartes conceivability argument?
1.What is metaphysically possible tells us nothing about the world. It could be metaphysically conceivable but that bears absolutely no resemblance to reality
2.Masked man fallacy- the argument is reliant on conceivability. Just like a person conceiving a masked robber is not their father when it actually is so it’s impossible for it not to be, we can conceive of the impossible.
