René Descartes: Mind and Body

The whole structure of limbs that is observable, a corpse, something that can be bound by some shape and occupy space

How is Descartes thought of “bodies” in the past?

Like the air?

How is Descartes thought of “mind” in the past?

Consciousness

What can he not be deprived of?

This means that for as long as I am experiencing/am conscious, I exist.

What is significant about his inability to be deprived of this?

A being that possesses certain characteristics, able to doubt, understand, assert, deny, be willing or unwilling, have senses

What is a conscious being?

The mind is present in the body; the pilot is present in the ship, but these are different. The mind has sensations when the body is afflicted, because they’re united. If ship is afflicted, the pilot would only perceive this on outside level

What is the pilot/ship metaphor?

The body is always divisible, and the mind is indivisible, you can’t distinguish parts of “yourself”, are a whole, complete thing

What is the great difference between mind and body?

For Descartes there are two kinds of substances: material and spiritual/immaterial. For Aristotle, a substance needs a unity between material and spiritual/immaterial

Identify a key difference between Aristotle and Descartes that Aristotle would likely think sets up a false choice.