Dualism is a belief by the physiologists which proclaim that there are two kinds of realities existing concerning mind and body. They argue that there are material or mind and immaterial (spiritual) substances. So the mind and the body are seen as two separate entities from each. They disagree that the mind is the same as the brain, others do not concur that the mind is from the brain. According to them, the body and mind are made up of some non –uniform components. The intention is entirely thinking that and does not have some physical characteristics like motion, shape, solidity, size, and adherence to the laws of physics. On the other hand, interactionism is a belief which postulates that the mind and body do depend on one another in so many ways. It argues that though the mind and body are two separate things; they do exert a specific causal effect on one another while performing different tasks. So these events through distinct (mental and physical) do influence one another in one way or the other.
Descartes is one of the famous physiologists who contributed much to these dualistic interactions during his time. He did not recognize the mind as an extended thing, but instead, he calls it a substance that can only think or feel and the body according to him is an extended thing that cannot think or feel. He argues that an extended item can be easily differentiated and recognized regarding its size, shape, position and movement. Bodies can be easily described based on some qualities and therefore can be scientifically studied. In contrast, the mental substance does not possess any of these properties. It cannot be divided, moved, decomposed or spatially extended. The mind is not made of the physical substances visible here in this world, but it is made up of spiritual elements like souls of which we cannot be able to see. Descartes associated the mind with specific properties, for example, consciousness and thought, being active, not able to be divided or destructed. Human beings are composed of these materials. It can be seen that like any other object, our bodies can quickly move throughout the world. It is capable of holding things, picking and bumping on them or even adjusting their positions. Descartes thinks that the bodies move just the same way as machines. It can exert causal effects on objects that are on the world as it progresses, as in mechanistic physical laws (Descartes and Smith 131).
He viewed that the same way as the lever is pulled on a machine to make it move, our minds also do interact with the physical bodies. He asserted that within a human mind there exist a pineal gland located in the brain and this is where the mind and the organs connect with each other. To him, this part of the brain exercises explicitly many functions than in the rest. This interconnection is so intact such that it results to some properties that cannot be felt either by body or mind alone. For instance sensations for example pain, tickles and itches can only be attributed to the pineal gland. So they are neither purely mental nor physical but are joined together. Any action that is performed is influenced by the mind as it supplies the reasons why we act in a particular manner.
In the pineal gland are fluids made up of fine particles, and the flow of these fluids stimulates it to move in different directions which in turn cause conscious mental state. The mind can conversely make the gland to move in several ways disorienting the movement of fluids to different parts of the body. So whenever we want to move our bodies, this decision will make the gland to trigger the spirits to muscles bringing about the movement. In the same manner, the body can also influence the soul. This is typical involuntary actions where the soul can cause the reverse flow of the animal spirits too.
For Descartes, the brain is not the same thing as the mind is. He believes that the function of the brain is to connect the mind and the body but due to its ability to change, it does not really mind. Unlike the man’s mind, the body is changeable. For example, the hair can be shaved, and some parts like arms or limbs can be removed, and these cannot interfere or reduce the state of mind. He did also explain that the mind is never affected directly by the other parts of the body except for the brain. To him, the brain can receive signals from other parts of the body then signals the mind of any sensation like itching. This form of feeling will then stimulate the mind to respond accordingly to relieve it from itching.
While defending his theory, Descartes gave an example of a ship and captain’s relationship. If the ship fails or is damaged, its captain will not feel any pain at all. But in case of any injury or harm to a human body, it will be felt in mind. So the mind and body are very close regarding the relationship. He also defended that if the human mind is feeling going through a stressful situation, the strength of his body is weakened as a result. On the other hand, if the mind is full of joy, the body will regain strength too. So the feelings concentrated on the mind will have an impact on the human behavior.
Descartes theory of mind has received criticism from several physiologists. From Gilbert Ryle’s perception, the concept is wrong and more so confusing. From his point of view, the theory is just but an official doctrine in that all the human beings possess both the body and the mind. In other words, the body and the mind are both human being. They are combined until the death of an individual where the brain can still function but the mind will not. He argues that if at all dualism was real, and then there could be no way of knowing someone’s inner mental life. No one could be able to understand even if anyone has a mind. The mind is used to elaborate what is done by any person but it cannot be mistakenly believed as existing or interacting with the body on the same base (Ryle 107).
I do agree with the objection since Descartes theory that mind and the body are two separate substances that are connected by the pineal gland for mutual interaction really cannot be right. Human beings can know precisely what the other person is feeling. This, Descartes theory failed to take into consideration. The way someone behaves outwardly can easily demonstrate what his or her mind is thinking.
Works Cited
Descartes, René, and Norman K. Smith. Descartes Philosophical Writings. Modern Library, 1958.
Ryle, Gilbert. Collected Papers: Vol. 1. Routledge, 2009.
