Descartes Ideas On Substance Dualism

Substance dualism is a concept in philosophy that primarily revolves around the existence of the body and the mind. Based on this concept, the mind and the body are two different substances that exist independently of each other, and this is a perspective that René Descartes seems to agree with to a great extent. Descartes, a French philosopher, argues that only three substances exist in the world, and these include God, the mind and the body (1, 2, 3). The body and the mind, though dependent on God, are distinct entities, and this qualifies them to be regarded as substances. Notably, the mind is the mental or the immaterial substance, whereas the body is the material substance, and they both seem to have an intimate relationship. Following the death of the body, the existence of the mind seems to be an aspect that Descartes did not establish a specific stand on at all. At one point, he argues the soul is immortal considering that the two substances exist and function separately without the influence of the other. On the contrary, the soul is also bound not to survive the demise of the material substance, taking into consideration that they both have a deeply intimate relationship. Descartes’s perspective on substance dualism is that the mind and the body are distinct substances and that the death of the material substance does not necessarily result in the demise of the mental substance, since the mind can also survive.

God, the Mind and the Body

One of the arguments Descartes makes regarding substance dualism is that God exists, and more so, the mind is different from the body. According to Descartes’s perspective on substance dualism, the world comprises of solely three substances, which are the body, the mind, and God (2). For Descartes, substances are things whose existence is not dependent on anything else. Nonetheless, he acknowledges that God is the creator of all things and that everything else is dependent on him. Essentially, God is the creator of all human beings, and he continually recreates us throughout our lives. Thus, everything in the world, including the mind and the body are substances. However, Descartes argues that things that are solely dependent on God are substances (4, 5). As for the mind and the body, they can independently exist without the support of the other. Wilson and Sherrington depict that the mind, to some extent, is reliant on a small section of the brain (1, 6). Wilson mentions that Descartes was of the perspective that “imagining and in certain kinds of remembering the mind” utilize “impressions existing in the brain” (1). Thus, the mind and the body can be regarded as substances mainly because their existence is substantially dependent on God.

Extension and Thoughts

Another argument Descartes makes regarding substance dualism is that every substance holds distinctive attributes that differentiate itself from others. Notably, the primary characteristics regarding the mind and the body are the essence of the latter, and the former is an extension and thought. Just as Heil asserts, the mind is a mental substance whose primary attribute is considered to be thought (8). Unlike in the modern world whereby the definition of thought is substantially limited, Descartes defined it as anything that individuals encounter in the form of sensations, emotions, images, and desires. As for the philosopher, the mind determined the way of thinking and did not, at any point, disregard unconscious thoughts.

In contrast, Heil mentions that Descartes defined bodies as “material substances possessing the attribute of extension” (8). Here, decorates introduces a novel term, material substances. Notably, he regards the mind as immaterial. For him, the mind was immaterial as he believed it enlivened and formed in the human body. Back to the attributes regarding these two substances, Descartes felt that thoughts and extensions mutually excluded each other (7). It is impossible for thinking substances and extended substances to extend and think, respectively.

Intimacy and the Immortality of the Soul

Another argument Descartes seems to make is that the mind and the body are to a large extent, intimately connected. ‘Each mental substance bears an especially intimate relation to some particular material substance’ (8). The mental substance is regarded as the self, and it is thereby likely, to some extent, to persist the death of the material substance, body, considering that the two substances do not depend on each other. Although entirely different, the material and immaterial substances causally interact. Notably, the body tends to respond to the decisions and plans which the mind makes. Further, the mental substance receives signals from the material substance, which it synthesizes to know the current internal and external state of the body. For these reasons, Descartes also felt that it was substantially impossible for the mind to survive the demise of the body, considering the profound, intimate relationship the two share. Thus, Descartes does not establish a specific stand regarding the immortality of the soul even after the death of the material substance.

Conclusion

In brief, Descartes is a firm believer of substance dualism, as he is of the perspective that the mind and the body are two different substances that are independent of each other. Notably, the two substances are dependent on God for creation and re-creation. Nonetheless, their performance and existence rely only on God. Thus, the mind and the body can still be considered as substances. The primary attributes of the mind, which is regarded as the mental substance and the body, which is the material substance entails thoughts and extension, respectively. It is also quite notable that these substances share a close connection. As independent substances, the mind is expected to survive the demise of the material substance. Nevertheless, considering the intimate connection the substances share, the death of the body does not guarantee the survival of the mind.