Descartes Mind Body Problem

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The Mind-Body Problem, and Human Understanding
Rene Descartes (1998) believed that the mind and body were two separate things, which could exist without each other, a type of dualism known as interactionism (Kardas, 2014, pg. 174). His theory, however, came to be known as the mind-body problem, due to the lack of any clear, concrete understanding of his ideas (Kardas, 2014, pg. 174). In contrast, John Locke’s (1998) theories showed that the mind used the body to obtain sensory information, meaning that the two entities work together (Kardas, 2014, pg. 183-184). He believed that what we experience with our bodies will lead to knowledge, and in turn, reflection on our knowledge leads to understanding (Kardas, 2014, pg. 183).
Descartes (1998) …show more content…
174). One aspect of the problem is that Descartes (1998) claims the mind and body do not work together to cause movement, but that the body alone is responsible (Descartes, 1989/1998, pp. 60-61), which does not fully explain how we can make the choice to move our bodies. Another aspect of the mind-body problem is that Descartes (1998) believed animal spirits travelled along nerves to carry information throughout the body (Descartes, 1989/1998, pg. 58), and that these spirits can be moved by the senses without any contribution from the mind (Descartes, 1989/1998, pg. …show more content…
81). He introduced the theory called Tabula Rasa, which states that the mind is a “blank slate” at birth (Kardas, 2014, pg. 183). In this theory, the mind does not possess innate knowledge, but rather knowledge and understanding happen through sensation and reflection (Locke, 1975/1998, pg. 81). Through use of the body, sensory input is gathered and sent to the mind (Locke, 1975/1998, pg. 81), so that our minds are able to form ideas (Locke, 1975/1998, pg. 82). These perceptions of objects in the world by use of the body, which are then sent to the mind and become ideas, lead to knowledge (Locke, 1975/1998, pg. 82). This happens, according to Locke (1998), when the mind reflects inward on the gathered information, combining it with past knowledge and sensations, in the process that leads to human understanding (Locke, 1975/1998, pg.

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