DQ37

Class Responses and Instructor Comments

>From anna grier:

Descartes claims that being a thinking thing makes him distinct from his body and that he can exist without it.That's borderline truth inasmuch as the body needs movement and shape and so on, but the mind can travel wherever it chooses to go without the body. example: Descartes mind could be in paris and his body is in new york. He's THINKING about Paris. example: He could be paralyzed, unable to speak, but his mind is still alert and he understands what he hears eventho his body is no longer useful.

>rm says: I like your second example better than your first. Doesn't the first confuse what a mind is thinking about with where it is? I mean, the mind, for a dualist like Descartes, isn't anywhere in space, no matter what it is thinking. (This creates serious problems for his position.)

>From W Y Ng:

According to Descartes, the mind cannot be separated from the body. The body is part of the mind, which is the thinking part.

>rm says: Your first sentence is correct. Here, I want you to provde Descartes' argument for that position. The second sentence is incorrect. The two are linked together, but are distinct, and so one can be no part of the other.

>From W Y Ng:

That would mean that the mind and the body interact with one another. I see that my second sentence contradicted my 1st sentence.

>From natalie v:

What was Descartes argument for how the mind cannot be seperated from the body?

>rm says: Remember, you can look at my lecture notes. There were two arguments.

Descartes Reading Guide 37. Can your mind be separated from your body? Why does Descartes say, "I rightly conclude that my essence consists entirely in my being a thinking thing" (97)?		Back to Descartes Reading Guide Back to Philosophy 101 Home Next Question
Enter your response to the above question, or to a previous response, in the form below, or use this email link. I will post your response on the right, and comment if I think I can be helpful. When emailing, instead of using the form, please indicate the question number. When using the form below, if you neglect to enter your name or email, I won't know who you are.	Class Responses and Instructor Comments >From anna grier: Descartes claims that being a thinking thing makes him distinct from his body and that he can exist without it.That's borderline truth inasmuch as the body needs movement and shape and so on, but the mind can travel wherever it chooses to go without the body. example: Descartes mind could be in paris and his body is in new york. He's THINKING about Paris. example: He could be paralyzed, unable to speak, but his mind is still alert and he understands what he hears eventho his body is no longer useful. >rm says: I like your second example better than your first. Doesn't the first confuse what a mind is thinking about with where it is? I mean, the mind, for a dualist like Descartes, isn't anywhere in space, no matter what it is thinking. (This creates serious problems for his position.) >From W Y Ng: According to Descartes, the mind cannot be separated from the body. The body is part of the mind, which is the thinking part. >rm says: Your first sentence is correct. Here, I want you to provde Descartes' argument for that position. The second sentence is incorrect. The two are linked together, but are distinct, and so one can be no part of the other. >From W Y Ng: That would mean that the mind and the body interact with one another. I see that my second sentence contradicted my 1st sentence. >From natalie v: What was Descartes argument for how the mind cannot be seperated from the body? >rm says: Remember, you can look at my lecture notes. There were two arguments.
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