A Category- Mistake; Ryle vs. Descartes
French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) directed dualism towards a more modern perspective. Testing and recording his logic of dualism, Descartes identified a human self to be a “thinking thing” (Chaffee 105), adding to the definition of the dualism of the self of a human composed of two separate parts. The body is a substance of matter, while the mind (or soul) is non- physical. For British Philosopher Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976), a logical behaviorist believed this was incorrect information. He went so far in his endeavor to change the belief of this theory by “attacking Descartes’ myth in his book, The Concept of Mind” (Chaffee 128).
Descartes theory is much like Socrates and Plato’s dualistic belief …show more content…
Ryle’s example of the University includes all the parts of the library, administration, student union, etc. as not the University as being another counterpart to these departments. Here’s an example that I have come up with, so my seven-year-old son asks me to make him a PB&J for lunch, as most people know it as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I proceed to make him one PB&J sandwich and serve it to him. He looks at it and asks why didn’t I make him a PB and J? In his mind, I should have made two separate sandwiches, a peanut butter sandwich, and a jelly sandwich. He did not understand that PB&J meant combining all ingredients to make one sandwich. As did Ryle’s example of the library, and administration is a part of the University. Per Chaffee, “the category-mistake consists of representing the facts of mental life as if they belonged to one logical type of category when they actually belong to another” …show more content…
I agree we were meant to have doubts, to challenge ourselves and others to identify self better. I feel Descartes description of our essence of self to be a “thinking thing” is accurate. However, like him, I question, “what is a thinking thing?; it is a thing that has doubts” (Chaffee 104). I believe dreaming is an unaware state from my body. From my own experiences during my dreams, when I’m not so aware, my self-identity differs from my awaken state. I am me, in a different form, looking and watching from the outside. Although at times I do question if it this caused by an overreaction of my mind, a hallucination from lacking sleep, or wishful thinking of my heart. Nonetheless, I believe my dreaming state is my true nonphysical self, trying to exist independently from my physical
French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) directed dualism towards a more modern perspective. Testing and recording his logic of dualism, Descartes identified a human self to be a “thinking thing” (Chaffee 105), adding to the definition of the dualism of the self of a human composed of two separate parts. The body is a substance of matter, while the mind (or soul) is non- physical. For British Philosopher Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976), a logical behaviorist believed this was incorrect information. He went so far in his endeavor to change the belief of this theory by “attacking Descartes’ myth in his book, The Concept of Mind” (Chaffee 128).
Descartes theory is much like Socrates and Plato’s dualistic belief …show more content…
Ryle’s example of the University includes all the parts of the library, administration, student union, etc. as not the University as being another counterpart to these departments. Here’s an example that I have come up with, so my seven-year-old son asks me to make him a PB&J for lunch, as most people know it as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I proceed to make him one PB&J sandwich and serve it to him. He looks at it and asks why didn’t I make him a PB and J? In his mind, I should have made two separate sandwiches, a peanut butter sandwich, and a jelly sandwich. He did not understand that PB&J meant combining all ingredients to make one sandwich. As did Ryle’s example of the library, and administration is a part of the University. Per Chaffee, “the category-mistake consists of representing the facts of mental life as if they belonged to one logical type of category when they actually belong to another” …show more content…
I agree we were meant to have doubts, to challenge ourselves and others to identify self better. I feel Descartes description of our essence of self to be a “thinking thing” is accurate. However, like him, I question, “what is a thinking thing?; it is a thing that has doubts” (Chaffee 104). I believe dreaming is an unaware state from my body. From my own experiences during my dreams, when I’m not so aware, my self-identity differs from my awaken state. I am me, in a different form, looking and watching from the outside. Although at times I do question if it this caused by an overreaction of my mind, a hallucination from lacking sleep, or wishful thinking of my heart. Nonetheless, I believe my dreaming state is my true nonphysical self, trying to exist independently from my physical