Meditations in Philosophy of Descartes Essay Example

Rene Descartes in His work in metaphysics about the various meditations brings about the issue that is referred to as the mind-body problem. The basis of the mind-body problem in metaphysics is drawn and connected to a number of questions that have had always required some clarity. The clarity that is needed in this case is about two specific entities with each being independent and the entities are the body and the mind. The mind is concerned and or associated with consciousness, beliefs, perceptions among so many another related kind of staff while the body is on the other hand associated with material objects that exist. In stating the mind-body problem, the questions that arise are whether the body and the mind are to be considered as one entity in metaphysics or two very diverse entities working together to attain some similar and or specific tasks.

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This is the main question that fostered the existence of the mind-body problem in that reality or truth has not been identified about the separation of these two units which are the mind and the body. Different people have had also different perceptions about this particular question of concern with some saying that these are two different things and others saying that these are one and the same thing as they both work together in the accomplishment of the particular functions that are associated with them (Beiser). The meditations of Descartes on the same led to the increased risk of complication on the matter instead of clarified points about them. This is what led to the birth of new stances like monism and dualism among all the others all with the aim of arriving at a point where each stance explained whether the two were the same or different.

Dualism on its side as a stance on this issue provided that despite the fact that the mind is not physical and visible it exists. It exists separately from the body but however the two work together in the functionality of the entire human body system. Monism, on the other hand, provided for the fact that the body and the mind are not in any way separate but instead they are perceived as one thing. The stance of monism as the broader class in the description of this issue then narrows down to some few categories that try to make the points even clearer and these are idealism and physicalism (McGinn). The main subcategory of great focus, in this case, is the one on idealism. In this regard of monism that the body and the mind are not and cannot be perceived as two separate entities, idealism is purely based on the viewpoint that only the mind that exists and not both the mind and the body exist together. There are several meanings and points that are drawn from the stance of monism and its smaller idealism in that its basis its center on the presence of the mind and non-existence of the body.

This is where now idealism breaks down further to give the other issue of phenomenalism. Phenomenalism is then in this case taken as that which is able to reduce of breakdown the entire physical world and turn it into perceptions that will then exist and or dwell in the mind alone. Idealism in relation to what is explained by phenomenalism helps in a great way to answer the problem of questions about the mind and the body is one or not (Gibson). It helps in offering the solution to this problem in that it helps to convince some people to believe that all that is physical and visible in the present world first exists in the mind and still continues to exist there. According to the idea of phenomenalism, what is supported is that the having of perceptions and thought of something in mind first was what really worked to bring about all those perceived stuff into the actual existence. It gives an example of the Omniscient God and how He used to perceive the physical things which are visible and physical today in His mind before they could come into actual existence in the world as tangible objects.

Still, this view asserts that actually what made this particular kind of stuff to become like physical in the world is because of the continuous perception, imaginary and thoughts that were in the mind of this Omniscient God at all times. So, this one supports that only the mind exists alone and all the other things that are seen, physical and touched just exist in this mind but in a real sense, they don't exist (Gibson). Although there are some large groups of scholars and people who tend to be convinced by this stance of Descartes meditation, it is really difficult for others to believe that what they see is not actually physical but instead something which is just a continuous and sustained perception of the mind.

Despite all that is used to prove and assert this ideology, there are problems that are associated with it and one of the problems is still about the same existence. This again raises a new question that if it is true that the mind alone exists and that the body does not, then does it mean that without the body the mind would be still in existence? Is the mind able to function without having the body system that is considered to help it function as effectively as it does? (Beiser). This one causes a great deal of contradiction between the two sides of this argument once again whether the body and the minds are one and the same thing or not. This contradiction still comes in despite the fact that both the two stances that of dualism and the other one of monism tend to solve this mind-body problem by the provision of convincing information on what exactly exists between the two.

Conclusion

This position holds problems on if the mind alone exists, how does it exist, in which state and how come the body is known as imaginary or perceived when it can be seen with the naked eyes and even touched. Things that are stored in the mind cannot be touched therefore it is hard to convince one that something they can see and touch is in the mind alone. The mind is found in a part of the body as known from information from nature and biology and so it is unclear what really exists. The argument that supports that the mind alone exists does not have enough evidence and points to prove that and thus a lot needs to be done in order to show the validity of this particular argument through supporting and real evidence.

Works Cited

Beiser, Frederick. "The Enlightenment and idealism." The Cambridge companion to German idealism (2000): 18-36.

Gibson, A. Boyce. The philosophy of Descartes. Routledge, 2016.

Kim, Jaegwon. Mind in a physical world: An essay on the mind-body problem and mental causation. MIT Press, 2000.

McGinn, Colin. "Can We Solve the Mind-Body Problem?" Mind 98.391 (1989): 349-366.