Dualism versus Materialism Essay

This musical composition shall tackle the long- name debate amidst dualism and somaticism. It shall first present and countersink the concept of dualism. Then, it shall present the reason or arguments of the dualists, which shall be rebutted by the argument or argument of the genuineists. After these, the concept of fabricism shall be defined. Then, arguments for materialism shall be presented, which shall be rebutted by the argument or arguments of the dualists. Finally, the writer shall cover his viewpoint on the matter whether he believes in dualism whether he believes in materialism whether he believes in both and why if any.Dualism as the term implies is a precept that on that point atomic number 18 two different center fields or types of being (http//skepdic. com/dualism. html). These two ar distinct and independent from unriva lead different as atomic number 53 is material and the other is unearthly (http//skepdic. com/dualism. html). The former is the one that is defined as the physical or the empirical world (http//skepdic. com/dualism. html). This is what we nates identify through our senses sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing (http//skepdic. com/dualism. html).In addition, this type of substance can be identified through instruments that extend our senses, such as radar, telescopes, etc. (http//skepdic. com/dualism. html). In short, outer proof can easily be ga in that locationd as to the existence and essence of this type of substance. On the other hand, the latter type of substance is described as the negative of the other, i. e. non-physical, non-material and non-empirical (http//skepdic. com/dualism. html). This is withal cognize as the psychological, genial or spiritual world (http//skepdic.com/dualism. html). The dualist believes in the existence and the interaction of both types of substances. A manifestation of this is the belief in the immortality. The dualists believe that as the spiritual world, as you may call it is breach from the material world, when the latter withers away, the former remains. Rene Descartes is a kn witness dualist. He is also known as the Father of Modern Philosophy. He lived in a conviction of question and disappointment, which is why he devised the method known as the Universal modeic Doubt.Through this method he doubted everything until he deliver the goods something that he could no longer doubt (Descartes, Meditations cover on Method and Meditations on foremost Philosophy). From this process, he realized that i think therefore I am (Descartes, Meditations talk over on Method and Meditations on eldest Philosophy). For him this is the wholly thing that cannot be doubted is that he doubts (Descartes, Meditations Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy). Through his process, he realized that clear and distinct ideas are the first truths (Descartes, Meditations Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy).Examples of these ideas are the truths of mathematics. More importantly, through this method, he also realized the dichotomy mingled with the spiritual and material world in that he can doubt the existence of his consistence but he cannot doubt that he exists as a being (Descartes, Meditations Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy). The dichotomy is further bolstered through the fact that his body is subjected to different rules or laws as compared to his mind (Descartes, Meditations Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy).His body is governed and follows the laws of physical science but his mind does not (Descartes, Meditations Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy). He posited the relation of the material substance to the spiritual substance in this wise external motions affect the off-base ends of the nerve fibrils, which in turn dis vest the primaeval ends. As the central ends are displaced, the pattern of interfibrillar space is rearranged and t he flow of animal spirits is thereby directed into the appropriate nerves.It was Descartes articulation of this mechanism for automatic, differentiated reaction that led to his generally being credited with the founding of reflex theory (Wozniak, citing Descartes, Meditations Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy). Husserl and Merleu-Ponty as they define the body in a different wise, criticizes the Descartes depiction of the body. The latter criticizes Descartes in that humanity beings do not relate to the body the way it relates to other external objects, such as a table or chair (Merleu-Ponty). confirmation of this is the fact that a human being does not move or affect an external object the way he/she moves or affects his/her own body (Merleu-Ponty). Husserl points out that doubting the body already assumes that the body is a mere physical thing (Husserl). Such assumption does not strike from philosophical thinking but from the scientific thinking that was pr evalent during Descartes time (Husserl). Ryle points out one person has no direct access of any sort to the events of the inner life of some other(prenominal).He cannot do better than make choreatic inferences from the observed behaviour of the other persons body to the states of mind which, by analogy from his own conduct, he supposes to be signalled by that behaviour (p. 16). mental happenings occur in insulated fields known as minds, and there is, by maybe from telepathy, no direct causal connection between what happens in one mind and what happens in some other The mind is its own place and in his inner life each of us lives the life of a ghostly Robinson Crusoe.People can see, hear and jolt one anothers bodies, but they are irremediably blind and deaf to the workings of one anothers minds and inoperative upon them. (p. 15) On the other hand, materialism is the belief or school of thought that all beings are collected of matter, material force or physical processes (Stack). All events and facts are explainable, actually or in principle, in terms of body, material objects or dynamic material changes or movements.In general, the metaphysical theory of materialism entails the denial of the creation of spiritual beings, consciousness and mental or psychic states or processes, as ontologically distinct from, or independent of material changes or processes. Since it denies the existence of spiritual beings or forces, materialism typically is allied with atheism or agnosticism (Stack). One of the formulations of the materialism is the belief that one rule is reducible to another rule (Stack). This is reflected likewise with the fact that one matter is reducible to another (Stack).For instance, H2O is reducible to hydrogen and water. A chinese sharpie is reducible to animal, dog and crumpled (Stack). In other words, matter as it exists is composed of other formulations of matter. This preservation of causal/explanatory role is reflected in at least one of t wo ways (a) the laws in the trim back and decrease theories are similar (this concerns whether they isolate the same covariations in the world) and (b) theoretical-predicate pairs across the reduced and reducing theories isolate, or pick out, the same objects (Churchland Hooker, cited in http//philosophy.uwaterloo. ca/MindDict/materialism. html).The problem with materialism is that it shuts the possibility of the non-spatials existence. There is no attempt, based on the sub-classification of materialism, to reconcile the notion to its principles. Materialism is more persuasive simply because there is empirical data to support the principles that it furthers. There is support with the belief that there are smaller components of matter that form part of other matter. This has already been proven by science.On the other hand, the causal connection between a consciousness and the body, which dualism furthers, while I feel exists is not address by materialism. However, the findings and the logic that was used in dualism seem to lack judgement in it. References Boyd, R. (1980) Materialism Without Reductionism What Physicalism does not Entail, in N. Block (ed. ), Readings in Philosophy and Psychology, Volume I (pp. 67-106). Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press. Broughton, J. (2002), Descartess Method of Doubt, Princeton.Caroll, R. , Dualism, http//skepdic. com/dualism. html, . Carruthers, P. (1986) Introducing Persons, London, Routledge. Churchland, P. M. (1989) A Neurocomputational Perspective The Nature of Mind and the Structure of Science. Cambridge, MA The MIT Press. Crossley, N. (1995) Merleau-Ponty, the Elusive body and Carnal Sociology, embody and Society 1(1) 43-66. Crossley, N. (1995) Body Techniques, Agency and Intercorporeality, Sociology 29(1), 133-50. Crossley, N. (2001)The Social Body Habit, Identity and Desire, London, Sage. Curley, E. M. (1999), Descartes Against the Skeptics, Iuniverse. Descartes, R. (1999), Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy, tr. by Donald A. Cress, Hackett. Descartes, R. (1969) Discourse on Method & The Meditations, Harmondsworth, Penguin. Hooker, C. A. (1981) Towards a General Theory of Reduction, parley 20, 38-59, 201-36, 496-529. Husserl, E. (1972) Experience and Judgement, Evanston, Northwestern University Press. Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962)The Phenomenology of Perception, London, RKP. Putnam, H. (1988) Representation and Reality. Cambridge, Mass. The MIT Press. Ryle, G. (1949) The Concept of Mind, Harmondsworth, Penguin. Stack, G. (1998) Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ed. Edward Craig, New York, Routledge. The Cambridge assistant to Descartes, ed. by John Cottingham (Cambridge, 1992). Wozniak, Robert H. (1992) Mind and Body Rene Descartes to William James, Washington, National Library of practice of medicine and the American Psychological Association. .