Substance dualism

Dualism

Mental states are not physical.

Consciousness is beyond the physical realm and inexplainable in terms of the laws of nature and science .

Knowledge about physical facts would not tell us everything there is to know about the mind

Everything is either mental or physical

Define Substance Dualism

The belief that minds are not identical to our bodies they are ontologically distinct and independent

metaphysical theory

Reality is made of two kinds of stuff :

Matter/ physical substance/ res extensa

Mind /mental substances/ res cogitans

Outline Descarte’s argument from indivisibility

P1. My mind is invisible

P2. My physical body is divisible

P3. Leibn’z law states that two substances that have different properties cannot be the same substance

P4. The mind and body have different properties and substances

C. Mind is not my body , and is not a physical thing

For example : the body is public the mental is private

locatable / unlocatable

Outline the argument from the problem of other minds argument

P1. If substance dualism is true , then we cannot know the mental states of others

P2. We do , on at least some occasions know the mental states of others

C. Therefore substance dualism is false

Sceptical problem affceting dualists

What is response by Mill to the problem of other minds

Argument from analogy , kind of inductive argument

Similarity in antecedent/subsequent marks of sensation

P1. Understand our own actions in terms of stimulus , mental state and response

P2. Stubbing your toe , feeling that pain causes a verbal reaction of ‘ OW ‘

P3. See the stimulus and response in other people

P4. Empathise can understand the pain and know from own experience

C. Conclude that other people have mental states

Supervenience

One set of facts supervenes on another set of more basic facts

example - materialists believe all mental facts supervene on the physical facts about you

Define qualia

subjective qualities which cannot be objectively described

Intrinsic and non intentional phenomenal properties that are introspectively accessible

Name a substance dualist

Descartes

Outline a criticism of the indivisibility argument mental is divisible

Mind has parts thinking imagining , willing

Plato and Freud on dividing

mind mental illness multiple personality and split brain

Outline a criticism of the indivisibility argument Not everything thought of as physical is divisible

Quantum physics quarks subatomic particles have not been found to be divisible and are the smallest parts of all physical matter

Energy is neither destroyed or created it is converted Cannot divide energy

Processes like flowing or running cannot be divided but are still physical

Define substance

An entity or thing that does not depend on another entity for its continued existence it has ontological independence

Define properties

Attributes or qualities or characters of something

Outline the argument from conceivability , Descartes

Deductive argument

P1. It is conceivable for my mind to exist without my body​

P2: If it is conceivable for one thing to exist without another, then it is metaphysically possible for one to exist without another​

C1: Therefore, it is metaphysically possible for my mind to exist without my body​

P3: If it is metaphysically possible for one thing to exist without another, then they are not identical.​

C2: Therefore, my mind is not identical with my body.​

Outline the criticism that the mind without the body is not conceivable

Imagine mental states without behaviour is impossible , behaviourism

Supposing that you can imagine removing consciousness or leaving all cognitive system intact is like supposing you can imagine removing health or leaving all body functions and power intact

Outline the criticism that what is conceivable may not be metaphysically possible

Masked man fallacy

Outline the criticism that what is metaphysically possible tells us nothing about the actual world