A Relationship Between Physical Properties And Mental...

The relationship between the physical and the mental is an issue that philosophers have pondered for centuries, and this issue still remains relevant today. In the attempt to determine the relationship between physical properties and mental properties two schools of thoughts emerged: Monism and Dualism. People who subscribe to monism believe physical properties, such as color and location, as well as mental properties, such as emotions and beliefs, are all one entity. Materialisms, the most popular form of monism, claims that everything mental is also physical. On the other end of the spectrum, Dualists believe that physical and mental properties are two separate entities. This paper will address the merits of interactionist substance dualism (interactionism) and epiphenomenalist property dualism (epiphenomenalism) as well as functionalism which is a type of materialism. The debate between dualism and materialism has retained its relevance today even though most contemporary philosophers believe materialism to be true. This is in large part due to the implications that comes with both views. If dualism is true, this means that there are some things that science will never be able to explain because science only has the ability to explain the physical. Therefore, dualism does not correspond with a scientific worldview which indicates why most scientists and philosophers are reluctant to accept this view. On the other hand, if materialism is true the possibility of anShow MoreRelatedProperty Dualism1389 Words   |  6 Pagesassesses property dualism, a theory of mind. It proclaims the existence of a single, physical substance (unlike Cartesian dualism), but argues that this single substance has two potential properties: physical and mental states that are not reducible. The idea that mental states are non-reducible properties of brain states is the central tenant of a theory of mind called property dualism. However, before we can assess the theory we must be aware that the question assumes the existence of mental statesRead MoreThe Three Concepts Of Donald Davidsons Anomalous Monism1359 Words   |  6 Pages Donald Davidson’s Mental Events, challenges how we discuss mind-body interactions. The thesis presented by Davidson, is that of Anomalous Monism, which attempts to answer the causality of mental and physical events. Differing from forms of the more common Dualism, Davidson accepts monism as the best way to describe the mind-body relationship. Meaning he accepts token identity and rejects type-identity. Davidson’s argument consists of three key principles. The first being the Principle of CausalRead MoreThe Mind Body Problem By Mark Rowlands957 Words   |  4 Pagespaints a beautiful picture of what love actually looks like, espe cially if it was between a zombie and a human being. This movie tells the story of a brain-dead, non-mentally functioning zombie and how true love has the power to turn this creature into a real man again. As stated later, according to the dualism, zombies do not exist, so that whole story line can be thrown out the window. Dualism separates the properties of the mind and the body. By looking at the mind-body problem, the aspects of dualismRead MoreThe Mind-Body Problem Essay957 Words   |  4 Pagesdebated even today, raises the question about the relationship between the mind and the body. Theorists, such as Renà © Descartes and Thomas Nagel, have written extensively on the problem but they have many dissenting beliefs. 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