Descartes and the Real Distinction Essay - 1809 Words

Descartes formulation of what he calls the â€Å"Real Distinction† has proved foundational to our modern concepts of being and consciousness. His contention has irreversibly influenced the fields of psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and others while cementing into the popular consciousness the notion of a definite dichotomy between the mind and the body. In this paper, I will flesh out what Descartes meant by the term â€Å"real distinction,† discuss the arguments he uses in its defense, and then argue myself that this distinction between mind and body (at least as Descartes frames it) goes much too far, and that it is a much more viable probability to believe that mind and body are actually intertwined, one and the same. Descartes†¦show more content†¦This argument requires the knowledge first that God exists, and second that It is not a deceiver; only by first knowing these two things can Descartes be sure that those things which he clearly and distinctly perceives are actually true. From here, Descartes asserts that if something can be clearly and distinctly understood without recourse to another thing, then the two can be considered to be different and separable. For example, both a lemon and a lime can be conceived of without reliance on the other, despite their relation; I can clearly and distinctly understand a lemon without having to think about a lime, so therefore there are two objects: the lemon and the lime. However, the same does not hold for a lemon and sour; I cannot clearly and distinctly understand a lemon without sour, so these cannot be considered to be two different objects. Descartes utilizes this process to show that the mind is distinct from the body. As a previously-es tablished â€Å"thinking thing,† he realizes that since he can understand himself without having to consult the body or senses (as he has avoided throughout the Meditations), then the body must be a distinct object. Yet, Descartes seems hesitant to separate the two completely, as he denies the naturally-following notion that the mindShow MoreRelatedDescartes’ Arguments for the Real Distinction of Mind and Body1154 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes’ Arguments for the Real Distinction of Mind and Body Descartes argues has three main arguments for minds and bodies being two different distinct types of substance. 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