Descartes

Introduction Can mind exist with out the presence of body? Rene' Descartes in his Meditations on the First Philosophy, comes to the conclusion that mind and body are distinct from one another, therefore mind is not dependent on body. Descartes uses an example of a sailor to a ship. In his example Descartes states, "I am present to my body in the way a sailor is present in a ship," meaning mind is like a …

…is proven by the different definitions of body and mind given by Descartes; body is divisible and mind is indivisible (56). The argument that mind and body constitute as completely one is false. It is false because the two, mind and body, are conceivably separable. The example of Schizophrenia is further proof that although something is seemingly identical as one, it can be distinguishably different. Therefore, Descartes argument that mind is distinct from body is justified.