Relationship Between Mind And The Brain - 1270 Words

What is the relationship between mind and matter? Is there a relationship between consciousness and the brain? A philosopher named Rene Descartes asked these questions in the seventeenth century. The mind-body problem contains a variety of approaches that normally fall under dualism or monism. The dualist maintains a distinct separation between the mind and body. The two main forms of dualism are property dualism and substance dualism. The property dualist believes there is only one kind of substance that is physical, which contains two distinct properties: physical property and mental property. The substance dualist’s view claims there are two varieties of substances that comprise of the physical and the mental; monism argues that there is simply a single substance that can explain everything. Monism comes in many forms, but the main claim known as physicalism, states that everything is physical. This single substance view is opposed to dualism. The dualist and physicalist ha ve a long-standing feud regarding the mind and body. Before we can properly debate the mind-body problem, we must properly define what is physical. In this essay, I will argue that we cannot define what is physical. I will demonstrate this by analyzing Barbara Montero’s essay called the Body Problem. I will explain the â€Å"body problem† , the problem(s) that arise from Hempal’s dilemma, and finally conclude that we should be more concerned if the mind is non-mental. In The Body Problem, Montero isShow MoreRelatedRelationship Between The Mind And The Brain1934 Words   |  8 PagesWhen philosophically analyzing the relationship between the mind and the brain, one must take into consideration all sides of the argument. The mind-body problem exemplifies how mental states are related to physical states assuming that the mind is a non-physical entity while the human body is strictly physical. What is the relationship between the mind and the brain and how is this used to explain all human thoughts, behaviors, and actions? A physicalist, such as David Armstrong, would claim thatRead MoreThe Mind And The Brain1053 Words   |  5 Pagesdifference in the mind and the brain? These genius minds have searched without sleep trying to figure out this question, but, the puzzles behind our consciousness remain unsolved and unreachable. Philosophers such as Peter Carruthers argue that the mind is the brain and that objections like those made by, philosopher, Frank Jackson, are based on a â€Å"conflation of know-how with knowing-that. Again, we are left with the question of whether or not the mind is the brain or if the mind is a completely separateRead MoreMind-Body Connection Essay1202 Words   |  5 PagesMind-Body Connection and how it Affects Learning James Webb Coll100 American Military University Corey Tutor Mind-Body Connection and how it Affects Learning The mind–body connection examines the relationship between mind and matter, and in particular the relationship between consciousness and the brain. Many throughout history have often wondered what causes the connection between the mental portion of the mind and the physical state of the body. A variety of different topics have beenRead MoreThe Theory And Identity Theory, And Deal With The Multiple Realisability Argument1690 Words   |  7 Pagescenturies, still, a definitive solution is yet to be found that universally satisfies the problem of mind brain identity. The most logical answer comes in the form of monism. Therefore in this paper I will argue that the mind and the brain are identical, as the mind exists only as a property of the brain. David Lewis and D.M Armstrong give support for the causal relationship between mind and brain states in the form of the identity theory, and deal with the multiple realisability argument providedRead MorePsychology : Mind Body Proble m898 Words   |  4 PagesTopic 1 Mind body problem tries to explain the states of the minds, occurrence of events, and action of processes. For instance, thinking is related to other processes and events of the mind. The fact that the mind is not physical in nature and the body is physical attests to this explanation. Mind body problem relate to some of the scientific concepts in different kind of ways. The relationship between the mind body problem and the concepts of neurophysiology, psychophysics and theory of evolutionRead MorePhilosophy Of Rene Descartes860 Words   |  4 Pagesstems another critical part of his philosophy which states that the mind and the body are two separate substances. This concept is called dualism. Minds are indestructible and indivisible. Bodies are destructible and divisible (Searle, 2004). Descartes claims that the mind and the body are connected in the sense that the body is an extension of the mind. Moreover, the reduction of consciousness to a bodily state is impossible. The mind, according Descartes, is able to exist on its, own separate fromRead MoreRene Descartes (1596-1650), A Philosopher Of The 17Th Century,878 Words   |  4 Pagesof the mind-body interaction. Descartes found life to be too distracting and began to obtain a reputation of a wanderer, requiring â€Å"peace and quiet†(30) for his studies. Descartes’s perception of the mind-body interaction was far from conventional; however, became accepted by many scientists of his time. Descartes’s view of the mind body interaction is supported by other researchers of his day who studied the brain, nerves, and the senses. Scholars have argued for years about how the mind could possiblyRead MoreRelationship Between Mind And Body929 Words   |  4 PagesIn philosophy, Mind–body dualism is any theory that states that the mind and body are two distinct kinds of substances or natures. The problem of the relationship of the mind to body arose from the works of Renà © Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician of the 17th-century who gave dualism its classical formulation or made it to be what it is today. Conceived from his famous â€Å"Cogito, ergo sum† (Latin) meaning â€Å"I think, therefore I am,† he developed a theory of the mind as a nontangible andRead MoreThe Mind-Body Problem Essay957 Words   |  4 PagesThe Mind-Body Problem The mind-body problem, which is still debated even today, raises the question about the relationship between the mind and the body. Theorists, such as Renà © Descartes and Thomas Nagel, have written extensively on the problem but they have many dissenting beliefs. Descartes, a dualist, contends that the mind and body are two different substances that can exist separately. Conversely, Nagel, a dual aspect theorist, contends that the mind and body are not substances but differentRead MoreMind And Its Relationship With The Mind1366 Words   |  6 PagesMind and Its Relation to the Brain How to define minds has always been a challenge for the â€Å"lovers of wisdom† since the advent of modern philosophy. The mind is arduous to define because it is incorporeal and the only person knowing its existence is its owner. That is; the mind differs from those familiar physical stuffs which can easily be defined in terms of their characteristics. Facing the thorny problem, the debate between dualists and physicalists about the nature of mind and its relationship