The Mind Body Problem Of Monism - 878 Words

Imagine you’re writing a final exam. You’re feeling anxious because you didn’t study. Now you’re franticly trying to recall any piece of information. While experiencing these different mental states one might think it’s just the physical brain processing that feeling of nervousness and brings information to our consciousness. But is there something other than the brain controlling our mental states? Most people would call this the mind. Some philosophies describe the mind as â€Å"simply a physical thing† while others believe the mind â€Å"is a non-physical entity †¦ sometimes called ‘the ghost in the machine.’† (Friedenber Silverman, 2006. p.30) This essay will briefly describe three major philosophies that try to explain the mind body problem. One philosophy that explains the mind-body problem is monism. Monism states that all our thoughts can be reduced down to a single substance. (Friedenber Silverman, 2006. p.31) In other words, the mental and physical realities no different. Two main ideas arise from monism; either all our physical experiences are mental projections or our mental experiences result from physical substances. If you think atoms make up everything, you believe in physical monism. Physical monism states that â€Å"nothing exists apart from physical world† (McLeod, 2007). Instead of a physical only reality, one might believe that what we perceive to be physical is just a creation of our mind. Two varieties of monism, Idealism and Solipsism, believe in a mentalShow MoreRelatedI, Myself, And My Body1222 Words   |  5 Pagesand My Body The mind is about mental processes and thought, while the body is the physical aspects of the brain. For years, philosophers have been perplexed by the mind-body problem. The mind is about mental processes and thought, while the body is the physical aspects of the brain. The mind-body problem discusses the mind and body, along with the relationship between them. Dualists and monists are the two types of people that take a stand on the issue. While Dualism may spilt mind and body, monismRead MoreEssay about Monism vs Dualism1001 Words   |  5 Pagesphilosophers have debated on monism and dualism, two different philosophical views of the human person. Philosophers have been trying to decipher whether the person is made up of the mind, the body, or both. Monists hold the belief that existence is purely based upon one ultimate â€Å"category of being† this means that either the person is made up of only the body or only the mind (Morris p155). Dualists hold the belief that exis tence is based upon the body as well as the mind and its mental propertiesRead MoreIn The Philosophy Of Mind, One Of The Most Prominent Philosophical955 Words   |  4 PagesIn the philosophy of mind, one of the most prominent philosophical theories is Monism. Monism, by itself, is the theory that reality consists of only one kind of substance. Likewise, Anomalous Monism theorized and developed by Donald Davidson in his work, Mental Events, proposes that reality consists of one kind of substance, namely, physical substance. That is, according to Davidson, all mental events are a part of the physical realm. Furthermore, Anomalous Monism, also known as the token-identityRead MoreIs The Mind Body Problem?1219 Words   |  5 Pagesworld around us, all of which have had their own single beliefs. One of their main issues faced in philosophy is the mind-body problem, and philosophers are still trying to solve this predicament to this day. The mind-brain problem is trying better to unders tand whether a person’s mental processes are the same as their physical processes. As of today, philosophy has broken the problem into two fundamental parts that has been split down into separate subparts. Personally, I find it easier to believeRead MoreWhat are the strengths and weaknesses of dualism and monism?1569 Words   |  7 PagesDualism and monism is a famous philosophy topic from ancient to now. The word Dualism means that our physical and our mental are independent. And our body and our mind cannot be the same. It is because of mind and body is two separate substances. In the contract, the monism means that both of the physical and mental are combined being one. And our mind and body are indivisible and are each influenced by the other. The monism and dualism individually has its strengths and weaknesses. The mind and bodyRead MoreThe Mind-Body Problem of Physicalism1731 Words   |  7 Pagesassociated with the mind-body problem in philosophy of mind , regarding which physicalism holds that all that has been ascribed to mind is more correctly ascribed to brain or the activity of the brain. The mind-body problem is the problem of explaining how our mental states, events and processes—like beliefs, actions and thinking—are related to the physical states, events and processes in our bodies. A long tradition in philosophy has held, with Renà © Descartes, that the mind must be a non-bodilyRead MoreRelationship Between Mind And The Brain1270 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is the relationship between mind and matter? Is there a relationship between consciousness and the brain? A philosopher named Rene Descartes asked these questions in the seventeenth century. The mind-body problem contains a variety of approaches that normally fall under dualism or monism. The dualist maintain s a distinct separation between the mind and body. The two main forms of dualism are property dualism and substance dualism. The property dualist believes there is only one kind of substanceRead MoreA Relationship Between Physical Properties And Mental Properties1399 Words   |  6 Pagestoday. 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 propertiesRead MoreDualism Essay844 Words   |  4 PagesDescartes argues in favor of dualism, the mind is completely independent of the body and vice versa. We have a sense this kind of dualism exists when we sa y, â€Å"I am a mind with a body.† Descartes argues that the self exists in consciousness and that the body is simply a machine the mind controls. Further, dualists support their argument by comparing essences of both the mind and body; the mind is indivisible and free and the body is infinitely divisible and is determined by the laws of the physicalRead MoreRealism : Reality And Dualism1340 Words   |  6 Pagesthat reality is made up of ideas and immaterial. Transcendental idealism holds the idea that our experience of things are shaped by how they appear to us and not by what they are in and of themselves. Both materialism and idealism are forms of monism. Monism is the belief that reality is only made up of one â€Å"substance,† either material or mental. Dualism, on the other hand, suggests that there is both the mental world and physical world that make up reality. Per Plato’s Phaedo, Renà © Descartes’ Meditations