Descartes- Mind and Body
Examine Descartes¡¦ account of the relationship between the mind and body. Do you find his arguments convincing?
Descartes (1596-1650) is generally considered to be one of the most influential philosophers of the modern Western world. He has been called ¡¥the founder of modern philosophy¡¦ as he was the first man of any influence in philosophy to be interested and affected by physics and astronomy, as well as refusing to accept views of his predecessors, preferring to work out everything for himself. He was the first man to attempt this since Aristotle, and there is ¡¥a freshness about his work that is not to be found in any eminent previous philosopher since Plato.¡¦ Tarnas says: ¡¥To begin by doubting everything was the necessary first step, for he wished to sweep away all the past presumptions now confusing human knowledge and to isolate only those truths he himself could directly experience as indubitable.¡¦ This questioning and sceptical nature meant that Descartes was able to make breakthroughs in philosophy not available to earlier philosophers who had accepted other people¡¦s views as true. Descartes was slow to start his work on philosophy, and in fact did not publish any works until he was forty-one. His last published work came out only twelve years after the first, and yet in these twelve years Descartes managed to make an enormous contribution to philosophy as well as to other fields such as physics, mathematics and meteorology. He is best known for his ¡¥cogito¡¦, the famous phrase: ¡¥Cogito, ergo sum¡¦, or ¡¥I am thinking, therefore I am.¡¦ This small piece of philosophy is the basis for the whole of Descartes¡¦ metaphysics, and is called his first philosophy. One of Descartes¡¦ most famous works was his ¡¥Meditations¡¦, which he began work on in 1639 while living in Holland. Sorell tries to describe this time of his life, saying: ¡¥Accounts of this period of his life sometimes picture him as a near recluse, living with a few servants
Descartes (1596-1650) is generally considered to be one of the most influential philosophers of the modern Western world. He has been called ¡¥the founder of modern philosophy¡¦ as he was the first man of any influence in philosophy to be interested and affected by physics and astronomy, as well as refusing to accept views of his predecessors, preferring to work out everything for himself. He was the first man to attempt this since Aristotle, and there is ¡¥a freshness about his work that is not to be found in any eminent previous philosopher since Plato.¡¦ Tarnas says: ¡¥To begin by doubting everything was the necessary first step, for he wished to sweep away all the past presumptions now confusing human knowledge and to isolate only those truths he himself could directly experience as indubitable.¡¦ This questioning and sceptical nature meant that Descartes was able to make breakthroughs in philosophy not available to earlier philosophers who had accepted other people¡¦s views as true. Descartes was slow to start his work on philosophy, and in fact did not publish any works until he was forty-one. His last published work came out only twelve years after the first, and yet in these twelve years Descartes managed to make an enormous contribution to philosophy as well as to other fields such as physics, mathematics and meteorology. He is best known for his ¡¥cogito¡¦, the famous phrase: ¡¥Cogito, ergo sum¡¦, or ¡¥I am thinking, therefore I am.¡¦ This small piece of philosophy is the basis for the whole of Descartes¡¦ metaphysics, and is called his first philosophy. One of Descartes¡¦ most famous works was his ¡¥Meditations¡¦, which he began work on in 1639 while living in Holland. Sorell tries to describe this time of his life, saying: ¡¥Accounts of this period of his life sometimes picture him as a near recluse, living with a few servants
Bibliography: Primary Sources „h Descartes- Meditations on First Philosophy: With Selections from the Objections and Replies (Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy), John Cottingham (Editor), Bernard Williams (Introduction), 1996 Secondary Sources „h Descartes: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions), Tom Sorrell, 2000 „h History of Western Philosophy, Bertrand Russell, 2000, Routledge Classics „h The Passion of the Western Mind, Richard Tarnas, 1996, Pimlico