Dualism

Descartes’ Cartesian dualism Philosopher and mathematician, René Descartes, wrote about “the mind-body problem” in the Meditations (1641). When asking the question “What am I?” Descartes concluded, “I am a thinking thing”. He reaches this conclusion by reasoning that he can doubt that he has a body, therefore he can doubt he is a material thing. But he cannot doubt that he is a conscious, thinking being. Descartes theory of Cartesian Dualism states that the mind and …

…proving Descartes’ and Spinoza’s theory, therefore it cannot firmly be said which is correct. In conclusion, when taking these objections into account, a supporter of Cartesian dualism would not have the better of the argument. Apart from the response which could be given to Strawson’s first objection, there are either very weak or no valid responses. Often the supporter of Cartesian dualism can respond in no other way than to deny the criticism.