Mind body dilemmas, monism, dualism

Materialism - Scientific community perspective 

• Belief that only things that are physical is real (cant be seen or touched)

• Most scientists support this pov, as “the mind is just part of what your physical body is doing”

• Brain is physical, its function is what we refer to as a mind 

Idealism - George Berkeley

• What is real is confined to the content of our mind

• Ideas only exist in the mind, all things are ideas, all things exist in the mind

• To Berkeley, nothing exists until its perceived “To be, is to be perceived”

• Only ideas are real, you cannot trust everything you see because you may be dreaming, on drugs, or living in a simulation 

Dualism - Rene Descartes

• Mind is one type of substance, and the body is another

• Body is physical, not mind is not

• Mind and body INTERACT with each other on daily basis through the pineal gland (small gland in body) 

Monism : The man-is-an-animal argument

• Due to evolution, we came ultimately from simple, organic entities from pools of pond slime, not spiritual component 

• Matter gives rise to matter

• We are nothing more than highly evolved, more complex biological life forms

Monism : Artificial Intelligence Argument

• We are building more and more complex computers

• Eventually machines capable of mimicking human brain

• Computer only physical entity, we are also merely physical entities 

Monism : Brain Chemistry Argument

• Conditions previously seen as purely mental or psychological are in fact physiological - affected by sleep, food, hormones, other chemicals 

• Our minds are nothing more than electrochemical systems, completely physical in nature 

Monism : The superfluity Argument

• “Superfluous” meaning something extra / unneeded

• idea that something non-material like a mind exists is not necessary for explaining human behaviour 

Monism : Mystery objection

• Aspects of dualism that is a mystery

• If it can't be understood or believed, it must be rejected

• It’s mysterious, therefore false

Monism : The problem of other minds

• We only have access to see other people’s physical bodies + behaviour

• So do we really know if they have a mind or soul?

Dualism : Introspection argument

• Looking inward (introspection) i am in contact with my “self” my basic essence

• This cannot be found from a physical or neurological examination

• It is not physical, but one is aware of their own presence and soul

Dualism : Discernibility Argument

• 2 objects can only be identical if they share all common properties

• Mind got diff properties that the physical body, therefore they aren’t alike

• 2 distinct entities

• Eg. mind can grow freely and develop in a new direction, physical body cannot, therefore no mind can be physical 

Dualism : The Cartesian Argument

• Similar to Discernibility Argument

• Rene Descrates - possible for me to doubt the existence of my body, but cannot doubt the existence of my mind. 

  • When doubting, I am using my mind!

• Body and mind are different and separate 

Dualism : Platonic Argument

• Plato views

• Possible for mind or soul to pre-exist the body, mind can survive bodily death

• If mind can exist without body, mind cannot be identical to any part of the body 

Dualism : Parapsychology Argument 

• Experience with mind or soul are not attached to the body

• Sane and sincere people across time share experiences where they had they soul / spirit be distinct from physical bodies 

Rene Descartes: POV on the Soul

• The soul was immortal

• Soul was distinct from the body, not affected by the same laws as the body

• Soul was a part of God, and thus could not disappear 

• When death occurred, the soul would be freed from the body, and thus wouldn’t disintegrate 

Aristotle : POV on the Soul

• All living things have souls, though, various grades of souls exist, some having higher capabilities than others

• 1) Nutritive Soul - most primitive and responsible for nutrition, growth, and reproduction (Type of souls plants have)

• 2) Sensitive Soul - Has all the functions of the nutritive soul, plus awareness of its environment, can feel pain, and move (Type of souls animals have)

• 3) Rational Soul - has all the functions of Nutritive soul and Sensitive soul, plus ability to reason (Type of soul only humans have)

• Believed that everything alive has a soul

• The soul could not exist apart from the body, therefore was not immortal