The philosophical debate as to whether the human mind is a purely physical substance or a non-physical substance is an argument that has been around for centuries. Philosophers around the world have formulated a multitude of responses to the debacle, but none of the arguments have been universally accepted at this time. The debate has two main viewpoints. The first being the monistic view of the mind-body problem where the mind is a non-physical substance and the second being the dualism view of physicalism where the mind is a physical substance (Herrick). In this paper, I will favor and argue for the view that the mind is non-physical substance.
The mind-body problem is a continual argument within the philosophy of the mind revolving around …show more content…
In one of Descartes’ most famous written lines, he states “...if I convinced myself of something then I certainly existed. But there is a deceiver of supreme power and cunning who is deliberately and constantly deceiving me. In that case I too undoubtedly exist, if he is deceiving me; and let him deceive me as much as he can, he will never bring it about that I am nothing so long as I think that I am something… I am, I exist, is necessarily true whenever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind” (Descartes p.356-357). Descartes believes that his argument proves that his mind exists regardless of whether or not he is being deceived or not being deceived, and that it is not possible for a person who is thinking to not exist. To put his argument in another point of view, if Descartes knows that his thought that he himself exists is his own thought, then he believes that his own mind exists because of his already existing thoughts …show more content…
Gilbert Ryle argues that mental thoughts are actually intelligent acts that the brain has caused, meaning there is no difference between mental thoughts and intelligent acts. In response to Rene Descartes argument, Ryle states “I shall often speak of it, with deliberate abusiveness, as ‘the dogma of the Ghost in the Machine.’ I hope to prove that it is entirely false, and false not in detail but in principle” (Ryle p.367). He argues that the there is not a separate substance called the “mind” inside a separate substance called the “body.” The workings of the mind, Ryle’s believes, do not cause distinct actions of the body, but instead they are a way to explain why the body has done its actions, and therefore they are together the same physical substance
The mind-body problem is a continual argument within the philosophy of the mind revolving around …show more content…
In one of Descartes’ most famous written lines, he states “...if I convinced myself of something then I certainly existed. But there is a deceiver of supreme power and cunning who is deliberately and constantly deceiving me. In that case I too undoubtedly exist, if he is deceiving me; and let him deceive me as much as he can, he will never bring it about that I am nothing so long as I think that I am something… I am, I exist, is necessarily true whenever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind” (Descartes p.356-357). Descartes believes that his argument proves that his mind exists regardless of whether or not he is being deceived or not being deceived, and that it is not possible for a person who is thinking to not exist. To put his argument in another point of view, if Descartes knows that his thought that he himself exists is his own thought, then he believes that his own mind exists because of his already existing thoughts …show more content…
Gilbert Ryle argues that mental thoughts are actually intelligent acts that the brain has caused, meaning there is no difference between mental thoughts and intelligent acts. In response to Rene Descartes argument, Ryle states “I shall often speak of it, with deliberate abusiveness, as ‘the dogma of the Ghost in the Machine.’ I hope to prove that it is entirely false, and false not in detail but in principle” (Ryle p.367). He argues that the there is not a separate substance called the “mind” inside a separate substance called the “body.” The workings of the mind, Ryle’s believes, do not cause distinct actions of the body, but instead they are a way to explain why the body has done its actions, and therefore they are together the same physical substance