Substance Dualism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Substance Dualism - Term Paper Example Such versions are comprised of substance dualism; psycho-physical parallelism; occasionalism; idealism; double-aspect theory; and epiphenomenalism. I wish to stress on the fact that such examinations will be done to further establish the arguments that will be set on the logicality of duality. Dualism, in its basic sense, emphasizes on the radical difference between mind and matter (Calef). In this reasoning, the mind is not the same as the brain or any other body part. Thus, there exist two independent substances in a person—one material (comprised mainly of bodily parts) and one non-material (human mind) (Philosophy of Mind). The term ‘substance’ is the most essential concept in this statement as it strongly posits the need to treat the mind as an independent object. Formally defined, a substance is a thing or an entity that does not depend on other thing or entity in order to exist (Lacewing). Moreover, a substance may or may not be composed of other substances, may or may not enter into relationships with other substances, but will always have specific attributes (Blutner). Through this definition, the ‘dualist perspective’ argues that there are two fundamentally different objects in a person—the mind and the body—and they do not necessarily need the presence of each one to exist. Thus, while the mind and the body may or may not be in a ‘relationship’ (as to be explored in greater detail in the second part of this paper), they will always possess specific attributes that will make them be as they are (Everitt). Because of this, the human body and the human mind can be discriminated according to attributes of spatial extension (for body) and of thought (for mind). Such attributes are further ‘specified’ by certain states or modes—modes of extension such as form, location texture and weight for the body, while modes of thought such as images, emotions, beliefs,