Does Descartes have a solution to the mind-body problem?

We have inherited the sharp distinction between mind and body, though not exactly in Descartes’s form, but we have not inherited Descartes’s solution to the mind-body problem.

What is the best solution to the mind-body problem?

Among contemporary scientists and philosophers, the most popular solution to the mind-body problem is probably materialism. Materialists aspire to explain feelings and experiences in terms of the chemistry of the brain.

What does Descartes think the mind is affected by?

Matter, or extended substance, conforms to the laws of physics in mechanistic fashion, with the important exception of the human body, which Descartes believed is causally affected by the human mind and which causally produces certain mental events. …

Why is the mind-body problem a problem?

The mind-body problem exists because we naturally want to include the mental life of conscious organisms in a comprehensive scientific understanding of the world. On the one hand it seems obvious that everything that happens in the mind depends on, or is, something that happens in the brain.

What is the mind-body problem quizlet?

The Mind-Body problem refers to the extent to which the mind and body are separate or the same thing. History of Mind-Body problem. The Mind-Body problem can be tracked back thousands of years to Plato and Aristole and is still discussed within modern psychology. The Mind and the Body.

How does the mind affect the body?

Neurotransmitters control virtually all of the body’s functions, from feeling happy to modulating hormones to dealing with stress. Therefore, our thoughts influence our bodies directly because the body interprets the messages coming from the brain to prepare us for whatever is expected.

What is Searle’s solution to the mind-body problem and how does he think it avoids both materialism and dualism?

Searle rejects dualism and argues that the traditional mind‐body problem has a ‘simple solution’: mental phenomena are both caused by biological processes in the brain and are themselves features of the brain.

What is the mind body problem according to Descartes?

Cartesian Theory and the Mind/Body Problem. The mind/body problem is also called the problem of dualism. Descartes believed that since the mind is atemporal and aspatial, it is indestructible. Only that which exists in time and is extended in space is destructible.

Does Descartes think dualism is impossible?

Descartes didn’t give a good answer, nor has any other dualist I’ve ever encountered. They tend to respond, “Well, we don’t know how mind and body interact, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible!” This is not a satisfying answer, even though I agree with them, and lots of philosophers don’t find it compelling at all.

What is the mind-body problem in philosophy?

For dualists, the mind-body problem manifests itself as “ the interaction problem ”—the problem of explaining how nonphysical mental phenomena relate to or interact with physical phenomena, such as brain processes. Thus, the mind-body problem is that no matter which view of the mind you take, there are deep philosophical problems.

Is dualism a good philosophy?

Dualism is an attractive philosophy with an Achilles’ heel. Mind and body seem to be fundamentally separate things, yet dualists since Descartes have never been able to solve the famous problem of interaction. If mind and body are in different ontological categories, then how could they possibly interact with each other, even in principle?