Dualism

Paper Summary:

The paper explains the concept of dualism, which holds that every human being is divided into two parts in which the mind and the body are considered as different from each other. The paper discusses how the body belongs to the physical element while the mind belongs to the intellectual element. The paper points out that any material substance is defined as physical; materialism includes all things that exist. The paper looks at Rene Descartes' theory of dualism and examines the arguments of Paul Churchland against dualism. The paper demonstrates how the arguments of Churchland regarding dualism are quite doubtful and very unclear.

Outline:
Concept of Dualism
Concept of Materialism
Rene Descartes' Theory of Dualism
Paul Churchland's Argument Against Dualism

From the Paper:

"During the 17th century Rene Descartes was the famous dualists philosopher because of his belief that there are two substances that exists in the universe. His particular philosophy is referred to as substance dualism because he believed that the universe consisted of two different kinds of substances that he termed res extensa (extended things, physical things) and res cogitans (thinking things) (Cofer, 2002). He believed that every action of the body, the mind only responds on the body's actions. The set of thinking things does not exist in space and time as we know it, but are separate, irreducible and exist after the body is completely gone (Cofer, 2002)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• BigNerds.com (Accessed: 2006) "Arguments Against Dualism - Churchland" [Online] Available at: <http://www.bignerds.com/print.php?eid=2395>
• Carroll, R. (2005) "Dualism" The Skeptics Dictionary [Online] Available at: <http://skepdic.com/dualism.html>
• Cofer, D. (2002) "Dualism" [Online] Available at: <http://www.mindcreators.com/Dualism.htm>
• Eliasmith, C. (2004) "Dualism" [Online] Available at: <http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~philos/MindDict/dualism.html>
• Lee, R. (2004) "Churchland's Arguments Against Dualism" [Online] Available at: <http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/rlee/intrau04/oh/c-contradualism.html>

More papers on Dualism:

• Analytical Essay # 133481 : "Mind/Body Dualism"
• Persuasive Essay # 144303 : "Philosophy of Substance Dualism"
• Analytical Essay # 139630 : "Monism and Dualism"
• Term Paper # 141231 : "Descartes Argues Cartesian Dualism"

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