Mind and Body - Being Human

Question 1

What is dualism?

Answer 1

The theory that the mind and body are two separate components.

Question 2

What is monism?

Answer 2

The theory that all reality falls into one, mind and body are not separate.

Question 3

What is physicalism?

Answer 3

The theory that everything is physical.

Question 4

How does Descartes approach dualism?

Answer 4

• Believes that being able to doubt ones existence proves that one is a thinking being, “I think therefore I am”.
• There is a ‘real and true distinction’ between mind and body, however they do affect each other - known as interactionism.

Question 5

How does Descartes prove that the body exists?

Answer 5

• Claims that all ideas have a cause which must be inside or outside us, however ideas such as infinity and perfection are not inside of us.
• An infinite and perfect being must therefore exist (referring to God).
• A perfect God would not cause the imperfection of deceit. So things we are certain of must be true ie. material objects exist.
• Knowledge of God makes it certain that we have a body.

Question 6

What is a criticism of Descartes Dualism?

Answer 6

• Gilbert Ryle
• Suggests that Descartes makes a mistake in assuming that mind belongs to a different category than the body.
• How can the non physical entity control the physical body?

Question 7

What is the Tripartite Theory of Soul?

Answer 7

• Introduced by Plato
• Uses the chariot analogy.
• The human psyche is the charioteer (logos, intellect) controlling the two horses, eros and themes (bodily desires and emotions).
• The chariot represents the true self and soul, it is moved forward by controlling the desires and getting the world to work in harmony.
• The soul directs the body.

Question 8

What does Plato say about the theory of the forms?

Answer 8

• Argues that every object in the visible world, is a less perfect copt of an ideal object in the ‘Realm of the Forms’.
• Our souls have visited this realm before entering our bodies, this is how we identify common objects.
• Uses the ‘cave analogy’

Question 9

What is Plato’s cave analogy?

Answer 9

• The cave represents the world we live in (world of appearances)
• Prisoners chained up in the cave represent trapped humanity.
• The prisoners face a wall where they can see shadows that they believe to be real objects, in order to understand the shadows prisoner must escape the cave.
• Once they leave, they will see the true reality in the form of the outside world, acquiring true knowledge.
• Analogy compares to how we as individuals can understand our world as long as we continue to pursue philosophical knowledge.

Question 10

What are some criticisms of Plato’s Theory of the Forms?

Answer 10

• Irrelevant to physical life since behaviour is physical.
• Aristotle saw ideas as a way of taking about physical objects, not as actual things in themselves so was not convinced that ideas (the Forms) are the most real things.

Question 11

What is naturalistic dualism?

Answer 11

• Introduced by David Chalmers
• Uses the “philosophical zombies” thought experiment to refute physicalism.
• Hypothetical creatures such as philosophical zombies are physically identical to real humans but do not have conscious experiences such as feeling pain.
• So physicalism cannot be true, does not solve the problem of consciousness.

Question 12

What is a criticism of David Chalmers naturalistic dualism?

Answer 12

• Daniel Dennett argues that philosophical zombies are logically impossible, the experience of pain cannot be taken from a person’s mental life without having any behavioural or physiological difference.

Question 13

What is the monistic approach taken by Aristotle?

Answer 13

• The soul is the description of the capacities and functions of being human.
• It is the ‘essence’ of something.
• Possessing a soul is what makes an organism and organism, so thew soul cannot be separated from the body and is one whole entity (monism)
• Thoughts are casual, the soul dies with the body.

Question 14

What is functionalism?

Answer 14

• Functionalism is the theory that the mind can be explained fully through its functions.
• It is a physicalist theory, everything in our world is made of physical stuff.
• The mind refers to the capabilities that happen to be manifested in human brains which are physical.

Question 15

What is the scientific approach?

Answer 15

• Actions can be explained by DNA and brain chemistry, eg. serial killers lack development in their prefrontal cortex so are more likely to exhibit violent behaviour.
• Richard Dawkins claims that the human animal is nothing more than the sum total of their DNA. Human consciousness is a result of evolution.