“Cogito Ergo Sum”
René Descartes once wrote “I think, therefore I am” (Discourse on Method and Meditations 85). By stating this, Descartes meant that thinking is the only undoubtable attribute of the soul (because man`s soul is always thinking). Therefore, to stop thinking means to cease to exist. In a broader sense, Descartes developed the theory of distinction of body and soul, the so-called “dualism” (The Passions of the Soul 53-55). I will argue that the skeptical position of René Descartes was incorrect as long as both physical existence and our mind are deeply interrelated and have certain influence on each other.
However, I suppose that although being directly related to the materialist philosophy, the philosophy of Descartes conflicts with the doctrine of the immateriality of the soul. According to Descartes, the body is an extension in its essence, while the essence of the soul lies in thinking (Principles of Philosophy 113). Unlike people, Descartes saw animals only as sophisticated machines, lacking soul and the ability to think. Animals, for Descartes, are limited to the body. Therefore, they are guided by certain animal instincts that deprive them of the possibility to reach the higher consciousness, wisdom and immortality of the soul (Discourse on Method and Meditations 78).
As to humans, a man also has a body that is composed of matter, which is the lower being and comes into sharp opposition with the peace of mind. Thus, the mind and the matter (physical) in a man are in a long struggle with one another (Rules for the Direction of the Mind 92-94). In The Passion of the Soul, René Descartes stated that "We should ascribe to the body all that is contrary to our mind" as well as that the soul of a man represent a field of constant bottle, where the so-called “animal spirits”, emanating from the body, are trying to outwit the mind, which, in its turn, is armed with unbroken will to resist the pressure of passions (63).
I consider that the struggle of the spiritual and physical in a man along with the consequent idea of curbing the passions away by the rational significantly both represent how Descartes understood the human nature (including his own). It seems that with all the ability of a man to control himself, he keeps living in a state of constant uncertainty and fear of his own self.
Nevertheless, it should be stated that the moral mind, described by René Descartes, does not represent a man as a social being. The main function of the mind is to endow a man with certain high, even perfect, moral qualities (Rules for the Direction of the Mind 86). All in all, the mind was designed to help a man overcome the pressure of external, practical life in his inner, spiritual life.
Descartes has developed his dualistic concept because he was entirely convinced in the power of mind. He considered that the final goal of his knowledge was to enable the domination of a man over the forces of nature as well as the discovery and invention of high-technological facilities (Discourse on Method and Meditations 84). Moreover, he also desired to study the cause-effect relationship and to improve the human nature.
Therefore, in order to achieve the mentioned goals, Descartes found it necessary to doubt existence of everything. This doubt did not look like a lack of faith in the knowability of everything that exists; it was the aspiration to find unconditionally reliable starting point for developing the absolute knowledge (Discourse on Method and Meditations 84). He struggled to find that starting point - a thought, which would be the driving force behind all the following true human knowledge (Discourse on Method and Meditations 85).
Once his famous statement “I think, therefore I am” had been chosen as the starting point, it changed the whole concept of Western philosophy (Discourse on Method and Meditations 84). Perhaps, the most important thing is that René Descartes made us to believe in the power of mind, in the ability to comprehend the world as well as in the possibility for each individual to guide his mind towards the achievement of justice.
As to the main question of this paper, as it has already been mentioned, Descartes believed in the idea of dualistic interrelation between the body and the mind. Moreover, he even skeptically questioned the existence of his own body (Discourse on Method and Meditations 85).
Nevertheless, if we assume that man`s body and mind are distinct, then absolutely independent state of these essences should be possible, in which both of them would be unable to have impact on each other.
For instance, one the most debatable issues, concerning the concept of dualism, is the problem of life after death. If the body and the soul are interconnected, but heterogenic in their nature, then the possibility of post-death existence should be considered. According to Descartes, the soul is immortal (Description of the Human Body 38). Therefore, it may exist on its own, without the body, which the soul leaves at the moment of death. Even if nowadays the idea of separate existence seems impossible, probably, in the future scientists will be able to make certain significant discoveries in order to prove the possibility of autonomous being of the mind (for example, in form of ghosts).
Apart from it, I consider that the famous statement by Descartes and the whole concept of dualism puts into question the existence of people with certain mental or genetic diseases, which affect brain. If the classification, proposed by René Descartes, is right, then such people should be referred to as animals, which, according to Descartes, have no mind. Who knows, maybe mental illnesses should be considered as examples of separate existence of the body?
Moreover, by making the ability to think the starting point of his reflections about the distinctions between the body and the mind, Descartes failed to take into account the process of the development of a man. It is obvious that the newborns are unable to think and judge in a manner defined by Descartes. Nevertheless, it may not prevent them from improving their minds during the development process in order to as well as from becoming intelligent people that are able to think.
All things considered, I am entirely convinced that the physical existence is inseparable from the mind as long as such existence serves as a platform for human growth and development. Therefore, I consider that the man`s existence can be defined by the fact of physically being a human. All in all, I would rather say “I develop, therefore I am” instead of the well-known “Cogito ergo sum” by René Descartes.
In this paper I have presented René Descartes`s views on the problems of body and soul as well as on the concept of dualism. Moreover, I`ve touched upon his vision of human passions and the absolute knowledge. Eventually, I`ve argued that although Descartes`s reflections had a revolutionary impact on the Western philosophy, he failed to consider certain aspects of the human life, including mental diseases and child development.
Works Cited
Descartes, René. Description of the Human Body. Trans. J. Cottingham, R. Stoothoff, and D. Murdoch. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Print.
Descartes, René. Discourse on Method and Meditations. Trans. Laurence J. Lafleur. New York: The Liberal Arts Press, 1960. Print.
Descartes, René. Principles of Philosophy. Trans. V.R. Miller, and R.P. Miller. Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 1983. Print.
Descartes, René. Rules for the Direction of the Mind. Trans. J. Cottingham, R. Stoothoff, and D. Murdoch. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Print.
Descartes, René. The Passions of the Soul. Trans. Stephen H. Voss. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1989. Print.
