The mind-body problem is primarily a question of how the mind and the body interact with and exist in harmony with one other. The fundamental issue related to the mind-body problem is that there is a significant divide between two groups: the monists and the dualists. At the core of monist thinking is the belief that only one supreme being exists. This belief is split up into two forms: physicalism, the doctrine that everything is physical matter; and idealism, the belief that everything that is thought to be physical is only an illusion. One philosopher, in particular, who held a strong conviction towards supporting monist and idealist thinking was George Berkeley. Contrary to the likes of dualism, Berkeley argued that the only way a physical
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At the core of the soul’s existence is its ability to express emotion. This idea is essentially what gives each human being a sense of character capable of displaying personal emotions and detecting those same emotions in others. However, one of the ways in which an individual expresses emotion is by showing it on their face, which is part of the body. Likewise, when the mind becomes angered, the body is the first thing to respond, which can cause the hands to clench into fists, blood-veins to become constricted and more visible, and facial appearances to change. While Berkeley would only go so far as to say that the mind is capable of perceiving an emotion of anger through visual perception, Descartes would likely go further than that and agree that the mind and the body, while separate, still communicate emotions in a very similar matter. Putting this into a context that contradicts monist thinking, without the soul, a body could not express anger. Similarly, without a body, a soul could not feel anger, meaning that emotions would not exist. However, because there is no way of doubting that emotions exist, the view of monism appears to be somewhat flawed. Meanwhile, dualism manages to support its arguments and by doing so proves that it is worthy of providing a logical answer to the mind-body
At the core of the soul’s existence is its ability to express emotion. This idea is essentially what gives each human being a sense of character capable of displaying personal emotions and detecting those same emotions in others. However, one of the ways in which an individual expresses emotion is by showing it on their face, which is part of the body. Likewise, when the mind becomes angered, the body is the first thing to respond, which can cause the hands to clench into fists, blood-veins to become constricted and more visible, and facial appearances to change. While Berkeley would only go so far as to say that the mind is capable of perceiving an emotion of anger through visual perception, Descartes would likely go further than that and agree that the mind and the body, while separate, still communicate emotions in a very similar matter. Putting this into a context that contradicts monist thinking, without the soul, a body could not express anger. Similarly, without a body, a soul could not feel anger, meaning that emotions would not exist. However, because there is no way of doubting that emotions exist, the view of monism appears to be somewhat flawed. Meanwhile, dualism manages to support its arguments and by doing so proves that it is worthy of providing a logical answer to the mind-body