The Mind And The Self Duality - 2316 Words

When it comes to defining what the â€Å"mind† and the â€Å"self† there could be several issues around it that could include how are the two connected? Issues in Psychology when it comes to the mind and the self-do not seem to agree upon what the mind and self-duality is. However there are certain groups in society that believe that the two are separate this includes religious and spiritual groups. One possible explanation for the mind and the self are explained with Cartesian duality which represents that the belief that the mind and the self are not the same entity and that they are separate from one another but somehow work together (Baker and Morris, 2005). Whereas Monism believes that the mind and body are all as one with no difference between†¦show more content†¦Descartes suggested that the physical body follows the same pattern in everyday living within the norms which is then questioned by the mind, thus making alternative decisions and brings in dile mmas (Alanen, 2003). Descartes firmly believed that the mind and the body were not at connected at all and that the brain serves a go between for the mind and the body. It was also further suggested that the mind is not changeable as the mind is whole and unique. However the body is physical and can be changed, losing a limb for example will not change the mind only the physical makeup of the body (Lowe, 2000). Descartes said that human beings were the only dualistic animal, as he places all other animals on a level that was purely physical acting on â€Å"laws of nature† and â€Å"natural instinct†. However Baggini (2011) states that the individual has no specific part where the â€Å"essence or soul† is kept and the body and the brain including all its memories are all as important as each other. Additionally the sense of self and identities all stem from â€Å"I† which Baggini (2011) believes is the result of all the â€Å"systems† working toget her. This he believes is the â€Å"ego trick† and furthermore the self is not a â€Å"thing† but a mere collection of what stuff does. It is only when Descartes implied that the body and the mind were totally separate from one another did further questions arise. Issues such as if the mind and body were indeed two separate