what is mind

WHAT IS MIND?

The mind is a complex element in a living organism that assists to understand the world around them, be able to interpret experiences and internalize ideas pertaining reality in general. Dualism and physicalism are two philosophical entities that attempt to explain reality with regards to the mind and body relationship. Physicalism dimension is normally taken to be synonymous with materialism. The two entities perceive the relationship between the mind and body from different perspectives which brings about their differences.

Dualism for instance, which is derived from the concept “duo” , meaning two, holds the view of the mind/body relationship from a duality perspective. It sees the two entities as being different from each other. Dualists believe that the mind and the body cannot be reduced to be the same thing because doing so will ultimately lead to the deviation of the true meaning of reality. Their focus is aimed at critical analysis of the perspectives that normally bring the differences between the mind and the body. The body is a physical reality. The brain which is part of the body is not equivalent to the mind. Physical manipulation of the brain can be achieved to attain its wellbeing. For example, surgery can be done to the brain if it is malfunctioning to enhance its efficiency. On the contrary, complex processes which are not physical in nature are normally used to heal mental illnesses. One of the major proponents of this perspective is Rene Descartes.

Physicalism is a philosophical entity that holds the view that reality as perceived by human mind does not go beyond the observable things. This term was coined by Otto Nuerath. According to physicalists, there are no real things which are beyond the physical objects. Therefore to a greater extent, ideas behind physicalism conform to the empirical point of view. They do not however refute the existence of things beyond the physical. The proponents argue that even what exists beyond the physical is always supervened by the physical. For instance, “physicalists don't deny that the world might contain many items that at first glance don't seem physical items of a biological, or psychological, or moral, or social nature. But they insist nevertheless that at the end of the day such items are either physical or supervene on the physical.”(“Physicalism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stoljar, 2009).

Rene Descartes is one of the main proponents of the dualism perspective. According to him, the mind and the body are two fundamentally different things. In one of his works, “Meditations on the first philosophy”, (1641), Rene Descartes says that the mind is not an extended thing. The mind does not occupy any space as contrasted to the body which occupies space. It does not think but it is an extended thing (Descartes, 1980, pg.93). He explains further and says that the mind is just an entity that thinks. To him, the mind has the capacity to affirm, deny, will, senses as well as imagines. The extended thing according to him has peculiar characteristics which are evident and can be proved.  Some of the characteristics include; size, shape, movement from one place to another and many others. (Descartes, 1980, pg.85). Quantifiable qualities can be used to describe matter (physical objects) something that cannot be applied when describing the metaphysical issues.

On the other end the argument that the mind and the body are two different entities can be refuted on the following several grounds. The descriptions put forth by the dualists are seen to be inconsistent. They do not conform to the facts of fetal development and evolution of human beings (Lycan, 1996, pg.168) .For example, all human beings began as physical human beings regardless of the metaphysical reality which could have been created by God himself. It could have existed but it is beyond the understanding of the human beings. There might be no prove that the original cell that later formed the human beings was conscious. It could not exist on its own outside the physical reality of the human body. In addition from the physical reality which was original, there is no evidence that some non-physical elements were later added. This affirms the idea that as individuals grow up, they remain whole as they were created since there is nothing added during the developmental process.

Dualists also subscribe to the fact that the mind can exist separately from the body. When an individual sleeps, the mind is able to form dream while the body is still resting. If the body could be integrated with the mind, it could be hard for the brain to function while the body is asleep. Moreover, the body can be injured; it suffers while the brain itself does not suffer. It continues to function normally even after the injury. However, if the human body was one entity with the mind, then both of them would share the suffering which is not always the case.

The proposition of the physicalism can be supported against the backdrop of the dualists. The mind for example, is not capable of making meaning if it is detached completely from the body. Although the concept that the mind can function on its own without the body, this evidence can be disregarded on the ground that, the meaning of the function and the activities of the mind is dependent on the body. The mind explains the body. In this case, if the mind is an entity of its own, then it could e impossible for it to understand bodily functions as well as characteristics.

In a nutshell, the issues addressed by the physicalists and the dualists revolve around the existentialism of both the mind and the body. The body as perceived by the physicalists houses the mind which makes it an integral part of body. They claim that the mind is totally dependent on the body. To them, the mind cannot exist outside the body. The dualists on the other end claim that the mind and the body are two different entities capable of existing on their own. An example of the mind dreaming is given as an example.

The brain is not the mind. According to Christians, the body and the mind are different. The body can die but the mind remains. Dualism therefore from my point of view seems to gain an upper hand as compared to the physicalism in different ways. First, the physicalists seem to use the reductionism way to back up their arguments. They limit the arguments to movements alone. Furthermore, when we explain reality of the mind to conform to the physical reality, then some significant metaphysical meaning will be lost. An action of a human being for instance cannot be explained alone using the physical reality. For example, anger, love, hate which are abstracts held by the mind cannot be translated to be physical.

Works Cited

Descartes, Rene (1980) Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy, Donald A.

Cress trans. Hackett Publishing Co., Indianapolis

 Lycan, William (1996) “Philosophy of Mind” in The Blackwell companion to Philosophy,

Nicholas Bunnin and E. P. Tsui-James eds. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.

Stoljar, Daniel, (2009) "Physicalism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Edward N.

Zalta (ed.).