Conceivability Argument Analysis

The question of whether the self can exist separately from the body is hotly debated. One argument that attempts to answer this question is called the conceivability argument. However, the conceivability argument is insufficient to prove the possibility of a non-physical self because our ability to conceive of something is flawed.
The conceivability argument is in favor of dualism, suggesting the existence of a non-physical mind. It points out how if one thing can exist without another, then they are two separate things. For example, if a cat can exist without also being a feline, then they are two separate things. However, it is not possible to accurately conceive of a cat that is not also a feline, so they are one and the same. This concept …show more content…
The idea that all we have ever known ends with death is unsettling and uncomfortable. It’s something we would rather not think about, so we create new ideas that are more comforting. With these theories of life after death, existence continues, rather than the unfeeling and unbeing state of death that is more likely to follow life. Nothingness after death is also much more simple, as there is no need to explain the mechanics of how life after death might …show more content…
As Descartes says, we cannot trust our senses because they have deceived us before. We used to believe the sun orbited the earth, but our technologies advanced and proved our perceptions to be wrong. If the senses are not to be trusted due to a shortcoming, then our ability to conceive of something should not be trusted either. Descartes suggests that the senses are not to be trusted due to the fact that it is possible for them to be wrong. Therefore, following the same thought, we should not trust our ability to conceive of something. There is perhaps even more possibility of being wrong when conceiving of