DUALISM
be possible
The Indivisibility Argument
The mind is indivisible whereas the body
can be divisible. Descartes argues ‘although
the whole mind seems to be united to the
whole body, yet, when a foot, an arm, or
any other part is cut off, I am conscious that
nothing has been taken from my mind’.
Criticisms: The dependence of mind on
The Conceivability Argument
Descartes reasons that something that is
conceivable is logically possible, and
something that is inconceivable is logically
impossible. It is conceivable-and therefore
logically possible—that someone can exist
without a body.
Criticism: What is conceivable may not
 Arnauld objects Descartes belief that
whatever is conceivable is metaphysically
possible.
 To conceive of a right-angled triangle
lacking a certain property is not possible.
(Pythagoras example)
brain
 Neuroscience shows that our mental life
depends on our brains and as memories
are stored there it shows our mind is
dependent and cannot be divided.
 The destruction of the brain must also
destroy consciousness so that the person
cannot survive independently from the
body. So substance dualism is false.