Philosophy

Created by: Classicy classic
Created on: 09-04-17 08:59

What is substance dualism?

The view that mind and body are two ontologically distinct substances.

1 of 9

Outline and explain Descartes' indivisibility argument.

A body can be divided into parts; a mind can never be divided into parts; the mind and body must be separate substances.

2 of 9

Explain Leibniz's principle of the indiscernibility of identicals.

Objects are identical if they share the exactly the same properties.

3 of 9

Can some bodies never be divided?

We can divide a body into smaller and smaller parts, but science cannot currently tell us how small we can go.

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Can some minds be divided into parts?

Empirical evidence show us that damage to certain parts of the brain can significantly affect behaviour.

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Outline and explain Descartes' conceivability argument.

If I can clearly think of one substance apart from another, I know they are really different substances; my mind is a thinking thing, not an extended thing; I can think of a mind without a body; mind and body are distinct things.

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Briefly explain the objection that mind without body is not conceivable.

Mental states are necessarily represented in physical behaviour

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Briefly explain the objection that what is conceivable may not be possible.

I can conceive of Clark Kent and Superman as separate, but they can't be separated except as ideas.

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Briefly explain the objection that what is logically possible tells us nothing about reality.

It is logically possible that Grantham Town could win the Champions League, but in actuality they're ****

9 of 9

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Outline and explain Descartes' indivisibility argument.

Back

A body can be divided into parts; a mind can never be divided into parts; the mind and body must be separate substances.

Card 3

Front

Explain Leibniz's principle of the indiscernibility of identicals.

Back

Card 4

Front

Can some bodies never be divided?

Back

Card 5

Front

Can some minds be divided into parts?

Back

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Philosophy