The Theory The Mind Body Problem

In metaphysics, the problem of distinguishing the mind versus the body has persisted throughout time and remains a highly debatable topic in philosophy today. Two opposing perspectives in particular remain especially favorable in modern philosophy. Dualism, considers the mind and the body to be separate in that humans are, in effect, immaterial non-physical beings—people are souls. René Descartes examines in Meditations on First Philosophy the incompatibility of a reality in which the mind and body exist as a singular, strictly physical entity. In opposition to this perspective is materialism (or physicalism). Materialism argues that the human person is one with the human organism, and therefore exists solely as a physical being. In an

The mind is about mental processes and thought, while the body is the physical aspects of the brain. For years, philosophers have been perplexed by the mind-body problem. The mind is about mental processes and thought, while the body is the physical aspects of the brain. The mind-body problem discusses the mind and body, along with the relationship between them. Dualists and monists are the two types of people that take a stand on the issue. While Dualism may spilt mind and body, monism is the belief that the mind and body are together one. Each of these beliefs can be broken down into types, justifying monism or dualism. Though each have been

One of the most talked about concepts of philosophy is that of the mind-body problem. In short, the mind-body problem is the relationship between the mind and the body. Specifically, it’s the connection between our mental realm of thoughts, including beliefs, ideas, sensations, emotions, and our physical realm, the actual matter of which we are made up of the atoms, neurons. The problem comes when we put the emphasis on mind and body. Are the mind and body one physical thing, or two separate entities. Two arguments have stood amongst the rest, Interactionism and physicalism. Interactionism claims that mind and matter are two separate categories with a casual integration between the two. By contrast, physicalism draws from the idea that all aspects of the human body are under one physical being, there are no nonphysical connections that come into play. While both state a clear and arguable statement regarding mind-body problem, Interactionism gives a more plausible answer to the mind-body problem because although it may seem like we are tied as one, our minds have a subconscious that influence our thoughts, actions, ideas, and beliefs, which is completely independent from the realm of our physical matter.

The mind-body problem is the dilemma of explaining how mental states, events, and processes are related to physical states, events, and processes, given that the human body is a physical thing and the mind is not physical. How does the mind associate with the body if they are not considered the same entities? In this essay I will attempt to persuade you that the mind and the body operate together, one having an effect on the other. For me to do that, first I will consider substance dualism. Next, I will explore Behaviorism. Finally, I will turn to my personal belief that the mind, body, and spirit are all connected. There is no way to reduce a person to one single part.

Mind and body are believed to be either one or two separated entities, depending on which philosopher you would ask. The belief that the mind and body are one entity is defined as monism. Physicalism is a monism. Those that believe in the idea of physicalism also believe that mind and body are not separate substances. Physicalism claims that the mind is something that is physical. It also claims that the mind is reduced to or identified with behavior. According to the website, philosophy basics, “those that believe in physicalism believe that everything that exists is no more extensive than its physical properties and that the only existing substances is physical.” Both have valid arguments to prove their theories, which keep philosophers divided in between the two. Philosophers Thomas Nagel and Frank Jackson do not. Both philosophers have found problems with physicalism that seem to make the theory less sound. However, functionlists who are physicalists can argue back in objection to Nagel’s proposal to make the physicalists approach more sound.

Physicalism is a theory of the mind that is an evolved version of the theory of materialism. Materialists believe that everything essentially is physical material. With the more recent developments in the field of physics, answers to important questions consisted of the immaterial. Things such as gravity, energy and time are scientifically

The problems associated with the body and minds have obstinate nature, and it has resulted in the emergence of many philosophical views. The idealists are of the view that physical states are in real mental because the physical world is an empirical world or in other words; it is an inter-subjective product of the experiences an individual has (Calef, Scott). But dualists are of the view that mental and physical states both are real and cannot be assimilated to each other (Calef, Scott). For the better comprehension of dualism, it is necessary to explore a history of dualism to which different philosophers responded. In dualism, the mind comes in contrast with the

The mind-body problem is an ancient problem where philosophers ask, “What is the relationship between the mind and the body?”. This is an ongoing problem that concerns the nature of the relationship between the mind (consciousness or soul) and the physical world. So, what are the differences between physical properties and mental properties. Physical properties have certain weights, shape, hardness, location, extension in space, chemical

The mind body problem refers to the relationship and interactions between both the mind and the body. This includes the mental processes in the mind and the physical aspects within both the brain and the body. The focus here is how these two can interact as one is seen as physical and the other is not, but both remain closely related. The mind body problem consists of both dualism and monism. Dualism refers to the conscious mind and body as two distinct entities, and monism refers to the mind body problem as one single entity, and includes the theories of materialism and idealism.

In philosophy, Mind–body dualism is any theory that states that the mind and body are two distinct kinds of substances or natures. The problem of the relationship of the mind to body arose from the works of René Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician of the 17th-century who gave dualism its classical formulation or made it to be what it is today. Conceived from his famous “Cogito, ergo sum” (Latin) meaning “I think, therefore I am,” he developed a theory of the mind as a nontangible and unmaterialistic, substance that employs various activities such as rational thought, imagining, feeling, and willing. Whereas matter, or extended substance, conforms to the laws of physics automatically; with the important exception of the human body, which he believed is causally affected by the human mind and which causally produces certain mental events. (Principles of Philosophy) Subsequently, the mind-body problem is the problem of what is the relationship between mind and body? Or alternatively: what is the relationship between mental properties and physical properties?

In the philosophical world there is a constant controversial debate of the mind body problem. This debate focuses on the different interpretations of the brain and its correlation to the consciousness. Philosophical theorists have used several approaches to explain this extremely subjective matter. The idea that the conscious being apart of the body or mental is diverse and theoretically proven to an indirect statement in comparison to the various arguments provided. Thus one may need to take a direct approach to explaining the phenomena. Many may believe that there is no precise accurate answer, but this vindicated perspective gives a clear and concise understanding to an oblivious reader. Of the four arguments, I find the functionalism perspective to be the most accurate in explaining the mind body phenomenon.

It is more reasonable to think that the patient has the usual range of mental states. Behaviours visually express mental states better than knowing if one has a Cartesian soul or the requirement of a normal human brain.

One philosophy that explains the mind-body problem is monism. Monism states that all our thoughts can be reduced down to a single substance. (Friedenber & Silverman, 2006. p.31) In other words, the mental and physical realities no different. Two main ideas arise from monism; either all our physical experiences are mental projections or our mental experiences result from physical substances. If you think atoms make up everything, you believe in physical monism. Physical monism states that “nothing exists apart from physical world” (McLeod, 2007). Instead of a physical only reality, one might believe that what we perceive to be physical is just a creation of our mind. Two varieties of monism, Idealism and Solipsism, believe in a mental

So, the basic belief of mind-body dualism is that the mind and body are separate, self contained entities. “Our bodies have an address in the first realm, whereas our minds and everything psychological about minds make their home in the second realm… these realms are forever separate such that the mind and body cannot influence one another. The mind works according to the rules of the spiritual realm and the body operates according to the mechanical world of physics,” (Lieberman). Matt Lawrence says that the logic of this viewpoint lies in the difference between the properties of body and mind and how we measure them. To put it bluntly: material things like the body have size, weight, and shape; immaterial things like the mind do not. “Take for instance Morpheus’ hope that Neo is the one. How big is his hope? … And what shape is it? Of course we cannot say,” (Lawrence). These differences and more lead the supporters of the theory to believe that the mind and body are different substances altogether and theoretically capable of existing on their own. After all, physical objects apart from our minds (like rocks, socks, or building blocks) surround us all the time. If they can exist without a mind, why not a mind without a body? Lawrence insists that this belief is central to the idea of mind-body dualism.

“However, today we find increasing numbers of scientific men emerging from that age of materialism. This is due to the fact that modern science has not theoretically been able to resolve the material universe into purely mechanical energy, but has discovered that the smallest particles which it supposes to exist exercise a sort of volition, which of course leaves room for freedom. Once you establish freedom and volition as an operating factor in connection with the energy which becomes form, then you have established a universe of consciousness. And once you establish a universe of consciousness you establish the possibility of communion, and arrive at a logical basis for faith, prayer, the religious and the mystical life.”