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PHILOSOPHICAL THEORIES OF LIFE.
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Discusses Descartes theories and those of T. Nagel.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Discusses Descartes' theories and those of T. Nagel. Descartes' mind/body concept and his theory of dualism. The mind as an identity separate from the physical body. The Descartesian meaning of "the real you." Weakness of his theory regarding mind-body interrelationship. Nagel's three philosophical problems: doubt, special difficulties such as death, and attitudes toward nonexistence (posthumous and prenatal).
Paper Introduction:
Descartes said Cogito, ergo sum. A better translation that that one usually provided tends to mean: I can reason, therefore I am a living person. But, what needs further exploration and explanation is- where does that reasoning, that thinking, that ideating process originate? Is there an organ of the boy that provides it? Is it the brain? Or, more likely is it something outside the “normal;” bodily functions that supplies creativity. Thinking, after all, is creativity. There is, as Descartes explains it a difference between the mind and the brain. And, in essence, this explains his theory of dualism.
Dualism begins with the theory that the mind is a distinct non-physical thing, something that has an identity independent of any physical body to which it may be temporarily attached. “The essential nature of conscio
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Dualism begins with the theory that the mind is a distinct non-physical thing, something that has an identity independent of any physicalbody to which it may be temporarily attached. It needs that substance called the mind. In other words, there may be more harm incontinuing to life, in a sort of vegetative state, than to die peacefully.Of course, it is easy for an author to presume the feelings of such a humanbeing. And, in essence, this explainshis theory of dualism. Youcannot dissect the boy and find an organ or anything material that can beclassified as the mind. 9) He supports his theory with thebelief that a body, alone, could not use language or do mathematics orscientific experiments. Given the normal life-span of a person, life could continue as a"good" life. But, there is a finality to death.Nagel's third point is somewhat specious, it would seem, because the mandying has had life's experiences, the fetus has no idea of what is to come.The pro-lifers can certainly argue about Nagel's use of the word"nonexistence". It would seemthat Descartes is trying to say that the mind is no organic matter. (1979): "Moral Luck" from Mortal Questions Cambridge UK:Cambridge University Press Nagel's three problems are, first, "doubt may be raised whetheranything can be bad for a man without being positively unpleasant tohim.....Second, thee are special difficulties, in the case of death, abouthow the supposed misfortune is to be assigned a subject at all....The thirdtype of difficulty concerns the asymmetry...between our attitudes toposthumous and prenatal nonexistence. "The essential nature ofconscious intelligence resides in something nonphysical, in somethingforever beyond the scope of sciences..." (Kaiser 2 1 7) Mind and body areseparate, even though it is obvious that they cannot exist without oneanother (forget about the machinery that keeps one alive even though thereis no brain function). 3) Among the harms of death is "the example of deprivation whose severityapproaches that of death." (Nagel 1979 5) He mentions a severe brain injuryto an intelligent man, which reduces him to a state of infancy. But, "we are left with the question whether the nonrealizationof this possibility is in every sense a misfortune." (Nagel 9) According toNagel, it is the possibilities of a life we mourn and feel is harmful,rather than death itself. But, wherehis theory falls short is in attempting to find a way out of a mind-bodyinterrelationship. Only in sci-fifilms! 8) The machine is the human body, and the ghost is aspiritual substance. The only proof of the theory is the acceptance that "the brain isthe mediator between the mind and the body" (p 19) One cannot exist andfunction without the other.II. Is it the brain? 8) In other words hedifferentiates between "material-stuff" and "mind-stuff". Can a mind function without a body? A better translation that that oneusually provided tends to mean: I can reason, therefore I am a livingperson. The not-unpleasant harms of death, it is the loss of life, not deathitself. Along this premise, Descartes considers a person to be a "ghostin a machine" (p. REFERENCES Kaiser, K.: (2 1) Philosophy Ideas: Knowledge and RealityLos Angeles: Department of Philosophy, California State University Chapter Two: "The Ontological Problem (the Mind-Body Problem) Nagel, T. Or, more likely is itsomething outside the "normal;" bodily functions that supplies creativity.Thinking, after all, is creativity. But, as the Chapter points out: "minds are commonlyheld to be inside the bodies they control: inside the head, on most views,in intimate contact with the brain." (p. A temporary suspension of life is not in itself a misfortune,according to Nagel (3) Also, Nagel argues, it is the fear of death ratherthan death itself, which also includes the fact "that those who object todeath have made the mistake of trying to imagine what it is like to bedead." (p. Yes, there surelyare those who welcome death as a release from pain and suffering and anunpleasant, to them meaningless life. So, it might seem rational that the mind does notneed a body; that, in fact, it has nothing to do with the body (except, onewould think) provide brain impulses that commit the body to some sort ofactivity. Material substance, or"ordinary matter" has dimension- width, height, depth and breadth...a body,in other words, rather than the mind which is not measurable. So, what would be the "harm"of his death? Descartessees the mind as "a thing whose identity is independent of any physicalbody to which it may be temporarily 'attached'." (Kaiser 2 1 7) The question raised in this chapter is the Descartesian meaning of"the real you": Descartes sees "the real you is not your material body, butrather a non-spatial thinking substance, an individual unit of mind-stuffquite distinct from your material body (p. Is there anorgan of the boy that provides it? Descartes said Cogito, ergo sum. It would be a release from a prison. The real YOU, according to Descartes, is not yourmaterial body but some sort of thinking substance. He may wantto be free from care and a life that can no longer sustain everything hehad built up prior to the injury. His defense, to put itsimply is, it would be better not to have to suffer in an irreversiblesituation. But, one has to wonder if, even infantile-humans would prefer tolive rather than end it once and for all. How can the former be bad if thelatter is not?" (Nagel 1979 4) One is reminded of that poem, "Death be Not Proud". There is, as Descartes explains it adifference between the mind and the brain. But, what needs further exploration and explanation is- where doesthat reasoning, that thinking, that ideating process originate? We pity him, according to Nagel,something he cannot see, comprehend or feel.
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