Analysis Of The Cartesian Dualism

Analysis Of The Cartesian Dualism There is the relationship between a reason and an action when the reason explains the action by giving the agents reason for doing what he did. The reason explains the action in this way (a reason that rationalizes the action) also causes the action. There is some confusion, then, about reasons for action. The idea of a reason for action seems to some most naturally to pick out considerations that count in favor of acting in a certain way, while to others it picks out psychological states that explain action. We believe that the relation has to be causal, in order to pick out, from among the many reasons that a person might have acted upon, those that the person did, in fact, act upon. It is convenient to begin by considering dualism. The major position here is Cartesian dualism, named after Descartes, the central figure in post-medieval philosophical discussion of the mind-body problem. For a Cartesian dualist the mind and body are both substances; but while the body is an extended, and so a material, substance, the mind is an unextended, or spiritual, substance, subject to completely different principles of operation from the body. It was this doctrine that Gilbert Ryle caricatured as the myth of the ghost in the machine. It is in fact a serious and important theory. In the Cartesian Dualism, the brain is part of the physical body but the mind or the spirit is not. The mind interacts with the physical body through the brain, more specifically, through the pineal gland in the middle of the two hemispheres of the brain. The body could be divided up by removing a leg or arm, but the mind or soul is indivisible. The mind is not only indivisible but also invisible and immortal. The body is the exact opposite being visible, mortal and divisible. The mind in Descartes explanation is a thinking thing (lat. res cogitans) and immaterial. This thing is capable of doubting, believing, hoping and thinking on its own. The body is extended matter: the soul is unextended spirit. When, however, the extended is acted upon by the unextended, some definite point of interaction is required and it is to be found in the pineal gland. Yet the soul is united to all parts of the body conjointly. The whole body is the souls proper housing so long as the body remains intact. When a member of the bodyan arm or a leg, for exampleis cut off, there is no loss of part of the soul as a consequence because the soul is unitary and indivisible. It then occupies what is left of the body. So without attempting to resolve all the problems, he simply stated that there is a dualism of mind and body, and their interaction is clearly real. The brain is the major locus for the mind or consciousness of the soul, yet mind or consciousness is distributed throughout the whole body. The point of interaction between the two is the pineal gland. Monism is defined as the doctrine that there is only one ultimate substance or principle, whether mind, matter, or some third thing that is the basis of both (or) the doctrine that reality is an organic whole without independent parts (Websters New World Dictionary). The concept of psychological dualism asserts that man is more than the sum of his genotype. Dualistic man has a mind that is separate from his body. This mind may be housed or contained within the body, but it is not contingent upon the physical body for its existence. The mind can act upon the body, and the body can act upon the mind, but they are separate entities that have been traditionally believed to separate at death at which point neither has any influence over the other. The most important aspect of this philosophy is its recognition of a non-biological component of the human person. By the turn of the twentieth century, it had become clear that talk of the mind is too broad and that there may be issues to do with experience and sensation that are distinct from those that arise in connection with such mental states as believing, desiring, and the like (the so-called propositional attitudes). It was thought that, while functionalism, for example, might provide a plausible account of belief, it encountered real difficulties when it came to accounting for experience. Functionalism is a material monist theory of mind: it asserts that everything is physical. It is highly significant both in that it develops behaviourism and that it paved the way for empirical work in neuro-physiology and cognitive science. It was created as Hilary Putnam interpreted conscious states in terms of the (then new) science of computational theory. The function of the brain, states the theory, is consciousness. This approach is useful because by reducing the mind to a function it does away with the issue of how that function is performed. A function can be defined abstractly, without concerning itself with how that function is discharged in the same way that an equation can specify the relationship between X and Y without needing to specify how that equation might be solved. Thus, functionalism avoids the question of how the brain might achieve the feat of consciousness that dogs other materialist theories. Functionalism is also both a response to and a development of behaviourism. Behaviourism argues that conscious states can be understood in terms of sensory input and behavioural output. This leads to a significant issue; namely that it ascribes conscious states to any input/output system (e.g. a water tank). Functionalism adds an intermediary step, arguing that sensory input is processed by a function before output. Thus, two crucial differences to behaviourism are introduced: the function can lead to one or many outputs and some or all of the output can form the input to another internal function without the requirement for external expressive behaviour. With this simple device the diversity of the mind can theoretically be accounted for. An everyday illustration of this process might be a car. It receives multiple inputs in the form of petrol, oil, water, etc and outputs motion, gases, heat, etc. During this transformation process (function) we can also see an example of feedback: some of the motion of the car is used to power the alternator to generate electricity, which in turn forms one of the inputs to the combustion process. So now we have a brief understanding of the theory let us examine why this important theory came about. Firstly there is the need to respond to behaviourism and to overcome its shortcomings. Functionalism can also be seen as developing along with other new concepts of the time. The new science of computers and computational mathematics supplied concepts that could be applied to the brain as a complex system. Functionalism was also applying empiricism to a new area, paralleling the method of the huge advancements made in science in the twentieth century. Each mental state (or process) correlates with some neurological state (or process) Different mental states correlate with different neurological states (though one and the same mental state can have different neural correlates). The correlations are based on causal interactions between minds and brains. Mental occurrences can simply be taken as brain processes (Identity Theory). Mental states/processes are brain states/processes. Hence, we can identify sensations and other mental phenomena with (physical) brain processes.

Schoenbergs Response Towards The Progressive Music :: essays research papers

The eighteenth centuries are reasonably described as an era of musical common practice, when composers of different nationalities and temperaments nonetheless wrote music that was stylistically and structurally similar in important respects. however, in contrast, the twentieth century has been a period of great and increasing diversity of both style and structure. More specifically, music criticism has divided twentieth century music into two opposing groups; the neoclassical and the progressive.This view has remained influential up to the present day. It depicts the neoclassicists (especially Stravinsky) as attempting to restore and revive aspects of earlier music while the progressive (Schoenberg, Berg and Webern) pushed music forward in a direction determined by the historical developments of late nineteenth century chromaticism. Neoclassical music is seen as relatively simple, static,and objective as having revived the classical ideals of balance and proportion. But Progressive music is seen as relatively complex, developmental, and emotionally expressive as having extended the tradition of romanticism. Stravinsky realises and asks himself,"Was I merely trying to refit old ships while the other side - Schoenberg - sought new forms of travel?" the answer seems to be 'YES'. Schoenberg has found new forms of thravel which was the methode of composing with twelve tones, as we call it, 'Serial music'. For Schoenberg, progress was what history requires. Music is in continuous process of evolution. It is the composer's task to comprehend the historical trend and to keep it going in the proper direction. Schoenberg mentions,"While composing for me had been a pleasure, now it became a duty. I knew I had to fulfil the task; I had to express what was necessary to be expressed and I knew I had the duty of developing my ideas for the sake of progree in music, whether I liked it or not." Webern spoke of a similar sense of compulsion and of the weight of the past pushing him: "and never in the history of music has there been such resistance as there was to. Naturally it's nonsense to advance 'social objections'. Why don't people understand that? Our push forward had to be made, it was a push forward such as never was before. In fact we have to break new ground with each work: each work is something different, something new." For both Schoenberg and Webern, the tradition was not a generous friend or kind teacher; it was an intolerant despot.

Reaction Paper on “Matilda” Essay

â€Å"If you’re not having fun, you’re not learning†, this quote is taken form the movie â€Å"Matilda†. This is very meaningful to me because it is placed in the classroom of Miss Honey and it contradicts the school’s ambience of not being a conducive place (or even a fun place) learn. This of course is reinforced with the meanest principal on Earth, Miss Trunchbull, who is in fact hates children. I do agree with the quote because if you’re not having fun with what you are doing, then it would not be fun and it would not be even meaningful. I also think that having that fun environment will have a positive effect on the learner. The movie has parts that the class really enjoyed. The most thrilling parts for me were: 1) Matilda discovered her power; 2) Matilda was adopted by Miss Honey. I like the first one because I’m always fascinated about supernatural powers and mysticism. My reading preferences are always of a mystical genre, full of witches, spell, and supernatural beings and such. When I was a child, I have a very wide imagination and I will always imagine myself as a warlock casting spells or an extraordinary being that have powers like telekinesis, invisibility, shape shifter and many more. I also like the second one because I believe that every child deserves the best home possible. A child should have a home and a family that will encourage and enhance their mind. The movie, â€Å"Matilda†, is a very good movie about reading and about togetherness in the family. In the movie, reading for me is depicted in two ways. First, reading is a privilege skill that only the sophisticated people can practice fully. This is half true because nowadays the prices of book are too expensive for the poor people or even some of the middle-class people. Even some of the books that are published here in the Philippines are too expensive. But thanks to the very famous Book Sale, we can afford international or even local books that have a very good authority and storyline. The second is reading as a very powerful tool in battling simple to complex situations. There was one video I watched there the librarian said that â€Å"If knowledge is power, then I am in charge of an arsenal.† The books are powerful arsenals; they’re like bullets and our mind (while reading them) is the gun. Matilda is a very wide and complex reader. Wide in a way that she reads books from different genres and different eras. Complex in a way that she reads books that are way passed her capability or understanding as a child. I can really relate to Matilda in a way that I want to read so many books so badly but due to some circumstances I cannot. I can also relate to Matilda’s eagerness in reading. I too am eager in reading, mist especially when I like the book. I always try to read book from different genres and eras, just like Matilda. Reading that widely can enhance your knowledge and other skills like communication and social skills. All in all, â€Å"Matilda† is a very good movie with a lot of lessons like overcoming an obstacle is to face it wholeheartedly and don’t underestimate others. The parents are the ones who will instil the very rewarding skill of reading to their children. And I quote from one Emilie Buchwald, â€Å"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.† We should all be Matilda, a very wide and complex reader and a very enthusiastic one too. Not being a stereotypical child who just plays outside. Lastly, I quote from one Frederick Douglass, â€Å"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.†

Civilization Versus Savagery in Goldings Lord of the...

The novel â€Å"Lord of the Flies† was written by William Golding to demonstrate the problems of society and the sinful nature of man. Golding uses symbols, characters and objects to represent his main ideas and themes. The conch was used to call meetings but is also symbolic of the government structure and power. One of the main themes in the novel â€Å"Civilization vs. Savagery† is fought between two egos, Jack the Id who represents savagery and the desire for power and Ralph the Ego and protagonist, who represents order and leadership. William Golding created a society that was controlled by the dominant ego and influenced mostly by the person with the most manpower. Jack who was the leader of the hunter group influences the rest to join†¦show more content†¦While Ralph’s group’s were to make shelter’s. Ralph calls upon regular meetings that everyone will attend, to discuss important issues. He also decides that the person holding the conch shell and this person alone will be the only one aloud to talk. Ralph brings ideas and rules that bring law and order (Civilization) to the island. Unlike Ralph who wants to retain a civilized society on the island Jack shows little interest in the idea of rules. But this democratic society does not last very long as the children (especially Jack) have a lack of respect and interest for the conch and the rules. We can see this happen when Jack says, â€Å"We don’t need the conch anymore, and we know who should say things.† As the conch represents democracy we can see that civilization on the island is crumbling and savagery is starting to take over. Jack had successfully killed his first pig and the hunters began chant a song â€Å"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!† – (pg. 152) The kids dance around a slaughtered mother pig spilling the pigs’ intestines on the ground and rubbing the blood on each other’s faces. When all authority is taken out of the picture, the kids are free to do whatever they want. This is where their true nature is exposed. The boys don’t put into practice their teachings from school on the island, but become savage beasts. This shows us that man is civilized in our society, only because of the fear for higher authority, not becauseShow MoreRelatedEssay on Civilization Versus Savagery in Goldings Lord of the Flies1754 Words   |  8 Pagesall beauty and innocence can be mutated when order is overthrown by impulse actions. In William GoldingÂ’s novel, Lord of the Flies, a central theme exists demonstrating the deterioration of civilization, and the overp owering of savagery, leading to the abandonment of moral thoughts and actions within a person. The beauty of the island is burned away slowly as the fiery demon of savagery attempts to overwhelm the boys. 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