Descartes and the Mind

Paper Summary:

By analyzing some of Descartes writings, this paper explains how he views mind, intellect, understanding, reason, and soul in the same light as thinking. Exploring the nature of thinking, the paper shows how Descartes furthermore concludes that thinking also entails doubt, understanding, affirmation, denial, will (volition), refusal, imagination, and senses.

From the Paper:

"Decartes' argument relating to the mind then centers around subjectivity. Subjectivity is understood as relating to the fact that every human being perceives things in his or her own way. There is no way to know if what any one person perceives through the five physical senses is the same as what any other person perceives. The reason for this is that the senses are deceptive, and it is very difficult to know whether what one perceives is truly there or not. Descartes' main premise is then that if all perception is subjective, how can anyone be sure of anything? Descartes uses the example of an amputee who still occasionally feels pain in the limb that is no longer there. This is a strong case for the deception of the senses. How can anything exist? This also applies to the perception of other human beings and their nature."

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