The Concept of Dualism Essay - 1013 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; I believe that the popular or quot;ghost in the machinequot; form of substance dualism best solves the mind body problem. My views in this area have been influenced by my twelve years of Catholic education. The soul, or mind, depending on your level of belief, was a complete and separate entity and was the center of a human being. The body was an ambulatory device that the soul directed. The idea that the mind is a separate entity and that it is independent of the physical body is the central point of substance dualism. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Churchland explains that substance dualism claims that the mind is a distinct nonphysical thing, a complete nonphysical entity that is independent†¦show more content†¦My personal experiences as a religion student give me insight into this argument. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The second major argument for substance dualism is irreducibility. this points to a variety of mental phenomena that no physical explanation could account for what is going on. An example would be the quality and meaningful content of human thoughts and beliefs. These things cannot be reduced to purely physical terms, hence irreducibility. This is also another good argument that I can understand from personal experiences. I cannot reduce my reactions and feelings toward how a steak tastes to a mathematical equation. This is the same idea. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The final argument for substance dualism is parapsychological phenomena. Mental powers such as telepathy, precognition, telekinesis, and clairvoyance are all near impossible to explain within the boundaries of physics and psychology. These phenomena reflect the nonphysical and supernatural nature that dualism gives to the mind. Because I believe in these phenomena, it seems logical to me that parap sychology is an excellent argument for substance dualism. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; These arguments give a good basis for a philosopher to believe in substance dualism. However there are also serious arguments against it nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The first major argument against dualism is simplicity. MaterialistsShow MoreRelatedDescartes Dualism Proposal Is An Interesting Concept1251 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes dualism proposal is an interesting concept due to its simplicity. Yet, being so simply makes one more and more want to dismiss. 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This branch of psychology had intended to elaborate and study the nature and aspects of the human mind, also how these concepts such as mental events, mental functions and consciousne ss would connect to each other, through the human brain and body. Philosophy of mind became one of the central areas of philosophy as the skills and abilities of metalizing are used to treat individualsRead MoreQuestions On Defending The Knowledge Argument1091 Words   |  5 Pagesdependent upon physical processes.†(Smart) The other main stance taken is property dualism. The thesis of property dualism states that there are â€Å"Non-physical properties of physical substances† (Calef) or that there are physical and mental properties. In this article, I will defend the stance of property dualism by acknowledging objections and replying to these objections to show why the argument for property dualism works. The knowledge argument revolves around the scenario of Mary. Mary is very