The relationship of mind and body according to philosophy

The problem of the relationship between mind and body is as old as philosophy itself. Throughout history, numerous approaches have been proposed to address this fundamental question. Despite this, there is still no definitive consensus on how the mind and body are related. Difficulties arise when trying to establish a satisfactory relationship between physical and mental properties.

Although the physical aspects are observable and measurable, the mental aspects introduce elements such as consciousness or personal identity, which are difficult to be evaluated by an observer. This has generated passionate debates and prompted deep reflections on our nature as conscious beings. Discover the most relevant postulates in this regard in this text.

Relationship of mind and body: dualist or monist philosophy?

When we contemplate our own experience, it is evident that mind and body are intertwined. Their relationship and mutual influence has baffled philosophers, scientists and thinkers throughout the centuries. The two best-known approaches in the study of philosophy are dualism and monism.

The debate between these two philosophical conceptualizations is one of the oldest and most persistent. in the discipline. Both theories present compelling arguments and significant challenges, and each has influenced our understanding of the mind and body in different ways.

Dualism holds that the mind and body are separate entities and different in nature.. This view can explain our subjective experiences and the apparent difference between mental and physical processes.

Now, dualism faces the challenge of explaining how these two very different entities can interact with each other. The latter has been called the interaction problem.

On the other hand, Monism holds that the mind and body are aspects of the same reality. This view embraces the problem of interaction, arguing that the mind and body are not separate entities that need to interact, but are manifestations of the same substance.

However, monism faces its own set of challenges. For example, materialist monism explains how physical processes can give rise to subjective experience, that is, how consciousness arises.

Both perspectives raise questions about the relationship between mind and body, and have their own problems as theories. Some of the most debated questions are how do the mind and body interact? What mechanisms underlie this relationship? Can a non-physical entity, such as the mind, influence a physical organism? and Is the mind alone an illusion generated by the brain?

The dualism of mind and body

The idea of ​​dualism dates back to the times of Plato and Aristotle. However, it was René Descartes, a 17th century French philosopher, who popularized it. Descartes argued that there is an interaction between a physical reality, the body, and a spiritual one, the mind.

This form of dualism, which is set out in an article in the magazine Psychological Universities As Cartesian dualism, it has been one of the most influential theories in the philosophy of mind. It is also called substance dualism, since it maintains that the body and mind are two different types of elements.

On the other hand, the Austral Interdisciplinary Dictionary mentions predicate dualism, which can be understood as a weak form of substantialism. It is stated that, although there is a certain relationship, Mental properties cannot be predicated directly of the properties of the brain..

In a magazine article Philosophical Studies It is pointed out that the complex interactions that the mind would have with neurons cannot yet be explained theoretically. That is, there are mental experiences that cannot be reduced to physical phenomena.

Suppose you look at a color while a neurosurgeon looks at the brain. Even though he can recognize the brain area that is activated, he would have no information about the perception and subjective experience that occurs inside the subject’s mind.

There is also property dualism, which can be considered a strong version of predicate dualism, since admits that the properties of the brain and the mind are radically different and that there is no causal relationship between these.

The mind is, qualitatively, different from the body, and cannot be reduced to brain states. At the same time, there are different forms of dualism, some that give more importance to the interaction between mind and body, and others that propose their independence.

interactionism

This theory holds that the mind and body have a mutual causal influence, that is, mental events affect physical events and vice versa. This idea is based on our daily lives, where the physical world influences our perceptions and we react behaviorally to those experiences. Furthermore, our thinking also manifests itself in our actions and words.

Even though there is strong intuitive support for interactionism, this theory faces the problem of explaining how interaction occurs.

Mind-body monism

Monism is a philosophical theory that maintains that the mind and body are not separate entities, but rather both constitute a unity. This view contrasts with that of dualism, which considers that the mind and the body are not the same thing. There are several forms of monism, but the most relevant to the philosophy of mind are materialistic monism and idealistic monism.

Monism offers a solution to the interaction problem posed by dualism: If the mind and body are aspects of the same reality, then there is no need to explain how they interact with each other. However, monism also faces challenges, such as explaining how physical processes can give rise to subjective experience.

Materialism

According to a magazine article Neuropsychology notebooks, materialistic monism maintains that everything that exists is material or physical, including the mind. According to this view, mental processes are physical processes that occur in the brain.

This theory has gained popularity with the advancement of neuroscience, which has shown how different aspects of the mind, for example thoughts, emotions and perceptions, can be associated with brain activity.

Materialism leads us to ask ourselves: Is the mind just an illusion generated by the brain? Can everything related to subjective experience be reduced to physical and chemical processes?

Idealism

Idealistic monism maintains that everything that exists is mental or spiritual. According to this view, physical reality is a construction of the mind. Although this form of monism is less popular in contemporary philosophy of mind, it has had a significant influence on Eastern philosophy and some currents of psychology.

The influence of philosophy on psychology and neuroscience

The debate between dualism and monism has also had a significant impact on fields such as psychology and neuroscience. For example, treating the mind as a separate entity that can be studied independently of the body is a boon to cognitive psychology.

On the other hand, monism has influenced cognitive neuroscience, which seeks to understand the mind by studying the brain and its physical processes. So much so that an article in the magazine Frontiers in Education suggests that Some aspects of neuroscience could be taught as part of the humanities program.

The debate continues

Without a doubt, the relationship between mind and body will continue to generate debate in the field of philosophy, given the difficulties that exist in analyzing the link between physical and mental properties.

Now, both dualism and monism offer valuable perspectives on this relationship. Although each theory has its challenges, both have contributed to our understanding of the mind. However, this remains one of the deepest mysteries of human consciousness.

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