Dualism

Paper Summary:

This paper is an in-depth academic examination of the philosophy of dualism. It defines dualism and describes the important arguments in support of it through the concepts of Descartes, Chalmer and Jackson. The paper debates the existence of qualia. The author presents a decisive argument against dualism and in support of physicalism.


Table of Contents:
What is Dualism?
A Cartesian Argument for Dualism
Jackson's Knowledge Argument for Dualism
Chalmers' Zombie Argument for Dualism
Arguing against Dualism: Why it is a False Theory of the Mind
References

From the Paper:

"Dualism is a philosophical theory about the fundamental nature of reality. Perhaps the most important and best known proponent of the view was Descartes who described it as follows: "Thought and extension can be regarded as constituting the natures of intelligent substance and corporal substance; they must then be considered as nothing else but thinking substance itself and extended substance itself that is, as mind and body." [CSM I p. 215]. Influenced by Descartes characterization, contemporary philosophers take Dualism to be the conjunction of the following two theses:
(1) There are mental properties and there are physical properties.
(2) Neither kind of property can be reduced to the other. "

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• Analytical Essay # 139630 : "Monism and Dualism"
• Term Paper # 141231 : "Descartes Argues Cartesian Dualism"

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