Pedagogical tools to explore Cartesian mind-body dualism in the classroom: philosophical arguments and neuroscience illusions

Frontiers in Psychology
Scott Hamilton, Trevor J Hamilton

Abstract

A fundamental discussion in lower-level undergraduate neuroscience and psychology courses is Descartes's "radical" or "mind-body" dualism. According to Descartes, our thinking mind, the res cogitans, is separate from the body as physical matter or substance, the res extensa. Since the transmission of sensory stimuli from the body to the mind is a physical capacity shared with animals, it can be confused, misled, or uncertain (e.g., bodily senses imply that ice and water are different substances). True certainty thus arises from within the mind and its capacity to doubt physical stimuli. Since this doubting mind is a thinking thing that is distinct from bodily stimuli, truth and certainty are reached through the doubting mind as cogito ergo sum, or the certainty of itself as it thinks: hence Descartes's famous maxim, I think, therefore I am. However, in the last century of Western philosophy, with nervous system investigation, and with recent advances in neuroscience, the potential avenues to explore student's understanding of the epistemology and effects of Cartesian mind-body dualism has expanded. This article further explores this expansion, highlighting pedagogical practices and tools instructors can use to enhance a psychol...Continue Reading

References

Mar 5, 1998·Nature·M Botvinick, J Cohen
Sep 15, 2001·Science·J D GreeneJ D Cohen
Apr 9, 2009·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Athena DemertziAdam Zeman
May 21, 2011·Neurocase·Paul D McGeoch, V S Ramachandran
Sep 14, 2012·Psychological Science·Matthias ForstmannThomas Mussweiler
Jan 16, 2013·Cognition·Jesse Lee PrestonJustin Hepler

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