I am going to offer an argument against Cartesian dualism. The argument goes as follows:
(1) If dualism is true, then mind is not spatio-temporal, and body is spatio-temporal.
(2) If mind is not spatio-temporal, and body is spatio-temporal, then mind and body cannot interact.
(3) Mind and body can interact.
Therefore, (4) dualism is not true.
This argument is modus tollens. — quine
In contrast to contemporary philosophers, most 17th century philosophers held that reality comes in degrees—that some things that exist are more or less real than other things that exist. At least part of what dictates a being’s reality, according to these philosophers, is the extent to which its existence is dependent on other things: the less dependent a thing is on other things for its existence, the more real it is.
Further, it's not like "I have a left hand and a right hand, they are distinct yet they interact". The mental and physical are completely distinct, while hands have much in common. — Banno
Descartes says the mind and body are far more closely intertwined than ship and captain. — The Great Whatever
The problem is that they are distinct then what is the bridge? — Rich
Are a foot and a rock distinct?
What is the bridge?
Isn't this a problem for physicalists?
It's a good practical rule of thumb, but, then, has any philosophical discussion that's reached for atoms gone astray? How about any that reaches for DNA? Cosmology? Newtonian Law? Geometry?Any philosophical discussion that reaches for QM has gone astray.
Where does the physical aspect of the mind lie? — Rich
Language enables the externalization of thought by use of sound designs which enables others to understand what we are thinking. — Cavacava
In this sense QM is a kind of 'card' that sophisticated parlor gamers overrule, perhaps justifiably, with a disdain 'card.' — csalisbury
Only people who truly know QM can do philosophy — csalisbury
... How do you conceive of such a thing? Can a foot and a stone be at the very same point in space at the same time? How is that possible?Yes. — The Great Whatever
No, feet and stones have the same nature in that both are composed of one substance - atoms and void 8-)Well, that's obviously false. Feet and stones have different natures, yet a foot can kick a stone. — The Great Whatever
Then I would say there is still a problem, if the mind at all was involved with the movement of the physical body. — Rich
There is also the issue of how does the mind "grasp". How does the physical convert into something that can be grasped by the non-physical. I believe Bergson, as he was extremely well studied and reknown for his understanding of mathematics, biology, psychology, and philosophy, set out in his own metaphysics to — Rich
In this sense QM is a kind of 'card' that sophisticated parlor gamers overrule, perhaps justifiably, with a disdain 'card.' — csalisbury
But then (drawing obviously from an emergentist vein) How do hurricanes and representative democracies interact? Stock markets and Film Festival circuits?
These questions all seem to involve form as much - if not more - than the material. And it's not like the mind is formless. But it still seems another step to then say the mind isn't supervenient on matter, the same matter that anything else, that exists, supervenes on. But maybe that's just because it would make the mind seem too free of limitation, formless. — csalisbury
In this sense QM is a kind of 'card' that sophisticated parlor gamers overrule, perhaps justifiably, with a disdain 'card.' — csalisbury
The material aspect appears to be beyond the grasp of the mind, and this limits our ability to apprehend, and change the world. — Metaphysician Undercover
:-}The soul, having its existence anchored in the non-physical side of the present, has some capacity to control how the physical comes into existence at each moment. Therefore it moves the physical body. — Metaphysician Undercover
Conscious (Mind) and Matter are one and the same, moving in different directions in Duration (real time). One can say that Matter is Mind (Bergson names it the Elan Vital) that is no longer evolving in Time. — Rich
If one wished to be highly precise, there is still a bit of Duration in Matter but it had slowed so drastically that evolution has appeared to stop. — Rich
Right and this soul goes out of the body upon death and into some other realm right? — Agustino
I'm still waiting for you to show me a thought kicking a physical stone. — Agustino
Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.