...Rene Descartes “I think, therefore I am” is one of the most well-known statements by Rene Descartes. Descartes was a French philosopher and mathematician of the Renaissance. The Renaissance was period of time the emphasised the importance of education. Humanism, the study of classical texts to help understand your own time was developed during this era. The renaissance encouraged exploration of the New World, and many scientific discoveries were made at that time. Descartes was an influential man that would revolutionize the way of thinking for many Europeans with his contributions to the era. Descartes revolutionized the way of thinking for Europeans because of his invention of the Cartesian Coordinate, his work in optics, and his influence...
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...vary from a different period. However, many philosophers have different arguments on culture in various time periods. This term paper will explain the life, times, and critical theories of Rene Descartes who is one of the most significant thinkers who ever inquired into the connection between mind and body. It will also explain how culture and period influenced his ideas. Also, it will identify and evaluate the key concepts and analyzes that comprised Descartes' theories. Furthermore, it will detect and describe Descartes' contributions to the field of philosophy as discussed below. The key concepts and analysis that comprises his theories that include the theory of sense perception and the theory of ideas which he mostly concentrates on. According to Descartes' ontology, there are three levels of being which are mode attribute and substance.. The levels of being are agreed regarding ontological requirement, Modes rely on attributes of their being in a way that those same attributes do not depend on methods used and but to rely on the substances for their being in a way that elements do not depend on characteristics. The spirit or nature of a mind, Descartes says, is to think. If a thing does not have faith in, it is not a mind. In his analytical, this very feature of Descartes' theory of ideas, Vere Chappell introduced the terminology of “counterparts” (Chappell, 1986). The sun as symbolized in an approach, which might be taken to be the “objective sun”, “this would...
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...Rene Descartes When the term modern philosophy is mentioned, it is usually to make a distinction from ancient and medieval philosophy therefore it does not only mean the philosophy of the 21st century, it means, the philosopher Rene Descartes. Therefore in practice what the term, modern philosophy means is, philosophy from Descartes onwards. He was best known for his quote, ‘Cogito ergo sum’ (I think, therefore I am). Descartes was born on March 31st 1596, in La Haye, a small town in France. He was educated in classics, logic and the philosophy of Aristotle at the Jesuit college of Henri IV in La Fleche. After he graduated he studied at the University of Poitiers, obtaining his law license in 1616. He then joined the army and during his spare time he studied mathematics (Gaukroger and Hall, 1995). In 1619, he experienced the series of powerful dreams, which influenced him greatly in his pursuit of science and knowledge, and he acknowledged this ass his focal point of his life (Gaukroger and Hall, 1995). Descartes spent time in various parts of Europe before he settled in Dutch Republic. He maintained his studies and lived in various places throughout the Republic. During this time, he began his writing career, and he started to publish his new works that would revolutionize mathematics and philosophy, these works included the world, meditation of first philosophy, principles of philosophy and passions of the soul. His mathematical theories provided the basis for the...
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...philosopher and was called the father of psychology. Aristotle created idealism which believes that the mind and reasoning cannot exist without the body. Plato was also a philosopher. He taught theories based on the behaviors of humans like impulses and reasoning. Rene Descartes, another philosopher determined that psychology is an actual discipline. There are several philosophers that have influenced 19th Century philosophy. Edward Hitzig and John Locke are respected 19th Century philosophers, just to name a few. These philosophers have had an impact on 19th Century philosophy like no other. Their discoveries provide a different perspective on modern psychology. ("Understanding Learners", n.d.). Psychology as a Discipline According to "Understanding Learners" (n.d.), “Psychology as a discipline aims to describe behavior, explain behavior, predict behavior and control or modify some behavior”. (2). Rene Descartes was a French philosopher and mathematician. Descartes believed that ideas of the mind body and inherit knowledge. Descartes also believed that humans have a material body and a non-material spiritual mind. The human mind’s powers are supreme according to Descartes. He believed that the body could have an influence...
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...time of Plato and Aristotle but began to flourish and take shape in the 1600’s. For one to have an appreciation for this science he or she must consider the root and various perspectives of psychology. Modern psychology has come a long way since Rene Descartes and john Locke in the 16th century. The science of psychology began to flourish in the 1600’s with philosophers Descartes and Locke contributing significant theories on human behavior, impacting the rise of modern psychology. “As a science psychology evaluates competing ideas with careful observations and vigorous analysis” (Myers, 2007. p. 2). Rene Descartes was a French philosopher and mathematician who became influential and well-known in the field of psychology. He is the father of the mind-body interaction also known as the dualism theory. According to the dualism theory the mind and body are separate entities working together to build human experiences (Goodwin, 2008). While Descartes was working on his theory a British scientist Francis bacon was taking the science of psychology into a down-to-earth forum (Myers, 2007). Bacon’s theories were centered on experiments, experience, and common sense. He became one of the founding father of modern science, and his influence still hovers...
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...History of Psychology Danielle Shank PSY/310 February 18, 2013 Kelle Daniels History of Psychology To understand psychology today, one must understand the past of psychology. Rene’ Descartes believes a person’s mind to have an ability to reason and the body to be a machine. However, John Locke believed a person’s mind to be a clean slate and it is filled from experiences. These are two amazing theories about the mind and body. However, if all of the theories were to be discussed this would not be an essay; this would be a book series. Psychology dates back to the 1900’s but the true history goes back to the Greek philosophers or even farther to the 17th century B.C. with Psamtik 1 (King of Egypt). He believed the Egyptians were the oldest race and was curious about how. The foundation of psychology starts with philosophy and medicine than later becomes its own category of psychology. Psychology gets broken down into smaller parts. This paper will go over different philosophers of the past that brought the start of psychology and then a man who was in the 19th century of psychology. Philosophers That Began Psychology Hermann Ebbinghaus states in his textbook called “Psychology An Elementary textbook”, “Psychology has a long past, yet its real history is very short” (Ebbinghaus, 1908, p. 3). When this statement is broken...
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...College Algebra 1414 March 25, 2008 Rene Descartes René Descartes was a highly influential French philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and writer. He has been dubbed the "Father of Modern Philosophy" and the "Father of Modern Mathematics."But famous for his saying, "Cogito ergo sum - I think, therefore I am," which is used in Philosphy. His influence in mathematics is also apparent, the Cartesian coordinate system that is used in plane geometry and algebra being named for him, and he was one of the key figures in the Scientific Revolution. As the inventor of the Cartesian coordinate system, Descartes founded analytic geometry, the bridge between algebra and geometry, crucial to the invention of calculus and analysis. One of Descartes most enduring legacies was his development of Cartesian geometry, the algebraic system taught in schools today. He also created exponential notation, indicated by numbers written in what is now referred to as superscript (x²). Descartes was born in La Haye en Touraine, Indre-et-Loire, France. When he was one year old, his mother Jeanne Brochard died of tuberculosis. His father Joachim was a judge in the High Court of Justice. At the age of eleven, he entered the Jesuit College Royal Henry-Le-Grand at La Fleche. After graduation, he studied at the University of Poitiers, earning a Baccalaureat and License in law in 1616, in accordance with his father's wishes that he should become a lawyer. Descartes never actually practiced law, however...
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...Ahmad Compare and contrast Aristotle‘s concept of mind with that of Descartes. Introduction In this essay I attempt to show Aristotle’s concept of soul/mind*[1]. Then I compare and contrast it with Descartes’ concept of mind. In order to understand Aristotle’s concepts of mind, I shall consider Aristotle’s De Anima, in which Aristotle mostly concentrates on soul/mind discussion. I will examine the work of Kahn and Sorabji, who both considered Aristotle’s and Descartes’ philosophy in relation to soul and body problem. In order to compare Aristotle’s concept of mind with Descartes’, I am going to introduce Descartes’ most famous philosophical work which involves the question of mind directly, namely hisMeditations. …………………………. …………………………… ………………………………. If we look at Aristotle’s De Anima we can understand that pre-Aristotle thinkers were already concerned with corporeal and incorporeal problems. For example, for Plato soul was an ‘incorporeal’ and immortal thing, but body corporeal and mortal. The first impression we get from reading De Anima is that the mind and body problem was unsolved. Perhaps the resolved problem didn’t satisfy Aristotle. Aristotle claims that an incorporeal thing cannot exist without a corporeal thing. Aristotle’s new theory for solving soul and body problems makes controversial debate among most post-Aristotelian philosophers. Rene Descartes was one of them who rejected the Aristotelian concept of mind in...
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...“It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well, said Rene Descartes”. All throughout history there have been many remarkable minds, but as was stated by Descartes; it is not about how good the mind is, it is about how the mind is used. Descartes has always been regarded as a great philosopher; as a matter of fact, he is known as the father of modern philosophy. However, he was more than a philosopher. He was also a great mathematician and an eminent rationalist amid other things. Descartes has played as a major piece in the realms of mathematics, philosophy, and even science; therefore, he had a great impact in the course of history. Rene Descartes was born on March 31, 1596 in the small town of La Haye en Touraine, France. He was the youngest son of Joachim Descartes, his father who was a council member in the parliament, and Jeanne Brochard, his mother who sadly passed away within the first year of Descartes life. After the death of his wife; Joachim had his children live with their maternal grandmother. Joachim was very adamant about his children’s education. He wanted his children to get a good education and so he sent Rene to a boarding school. Rene was eight years old when he was sent to the boarding at the Jesuit college of Henri IV in La Fleche....
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...separation in between body and the spiritual mind. The views are not only religious, but also in philosophical approach, going back to 17th century, when Rene Descartes presented the dualism version of mind and body. According to Descartes (1952), “human beings consisted of two quite unlike substances which could not exist in unity” (p1). Descartes’s explanation of mind-body dualism explains that it is natural that our conscious experiences are completely separate from physical and non-living things. According to Gurung (2013) “there are many different cultural approaches to health, and it is important to acknowledge that many cultural variations exist within ethnic communities” (p. 14). Culture has a big debate on how health is incorporated to the mind-body. Different cultures have different believes and health behaviors and expectations from current country they live in. For example a person living in US vs a person living in India with the same health issue have different expectations and understanding of the health issue and the health system. According to Gurung (2013) one health approach used in western medicine that focuses on biology and psychology underlying health is the biopsychosocial approach. Biopsychosocial approach is based on system theory approach in which the human events like injury and illness influences one another. For example, smoking is a great example for a psychological reason for thinking that it makes feel better or less stress (Gurung, 2013)...
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...paper you will read about early philosophers that related to the beginnings of psychology as a formal discipline. I will also identify some major philosophers in the western tradition who were primary contributors to the formation of psychology as a discipline. I will also be exploring the development of the science of psychology during the 19th century. Ancient philosophers is the where history bagan in the field of psychology. Although these philosophers all had an intrerst with how the human mind and body works, they all had different interests, studies and experiments. They may have shared similar standpoints but some had different views. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were three Greek ancient philosophers who had a major influence on psychological thought. “Know thyself” one of Socrates’ most famous quotes. This quote was used to emphasize how important it is to be aware of one’s self. Personal reflection and self- examination are key factors in psychology. Plato was one of Socrates’ most prized students. He believed that our perception was inaccurate most of the time. To obtain knowledge he believed that one should depend on their thought and reason. Aristotle, Plato’s student, believed that we could gain information through careful obeservstion using our senses. He believed that our knowledge should be gained based on experience in life. Aristotle believed that people are naturally drawn to finding...
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...following dialogue will present the position of René Descartes and John Searle regarding the mind and body debate. Descartes: It is certainly obvious that the mind and body are two distinctly different entities. The body has physical properties whereas the mind is nonphysical. John: With all due respect Mr. Descartes, I can’t say that I fully agree with your proclamation. However, I would say that the mind is a biological state of the mental that can cause or be caused by physical changes to the body. I feel like you do not have sufficient justification of the relationship of the body and mind (Searle, 2004). Descartes: Well young man, let me explain a few things that will support my premise in a substantial way that may indeed change your position. First of all, the mind can exist without the present of the body. You see John; the existence of my body is dubitable whereas my mind is not. Therefore my mind does not consist of the same properties of my body. This is a clear distinction that my mind is separate from my body. John: Mr. Descartes, we can agree to disagree with some matters of the mind and body. I am troubled that many people think that they have a mind or soul and a body. I am also concerned that some people think they have all three. (Searle, 2004). Western Philosophers are often portraying some type of dualism and people have accepted this theory for many years. Descartes: And rightfully so Mr....
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...Socrates, outlined three aspects of the psyche which were: reason, feeling and appetite. He also wrote about the biformity of the psyche and the connection between mind and body (Hergenhahn, 2009). Plato’s ideas were a lot like those of Freud’s notions about the id, ego and superego. Aristotle, who studied under Plato, wrote De Anima, which is considered to be the first book on the history psychology. He built on the ideas of Plato, and other philosophers, about the psyche. Though he was more interested in studying psychological phenomena in biological terms, so many consider him the first physiological psychologist (Hergenhahn, 2009). Then in the 17th century the philosophical begins slowly to make the transition into psychological. Rene` Descartes was a...
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...Ideas of how we are not just physical beings but also have non-spacial elements to us, is an idea that has existed for thousands of years. Nearly all major world religions have ideas about this; from the Hindu ideas of atman, to the Judeo-Christian ideas on the soul. The main argument I'm using to examine us being 'basically physical beings' is dualism and the connection between the mind, body and the soul. One of the first recorded forms of dualism was platonic dualism. Plato (429-347 BCE) believed that the body was physical and is rooted in the four dimensions of space and time which is subject to change, he called this the 'sarx'. But a 'being' also had another part, a soul, which existed in the world of forms and was made up of three distinct elements; reason, emotion and appetite. These three instincts in Plato’s view are what animates us. This therefore makes us not just physical beings. Plato though, saw the soul as pure or 'simple' and therefore the body was inferior something which trapped the soul until death. Plato appears to believe that the soul will be reborn in a new body after that. Aristotle (384-322 BCE) at the time also agreed that we had a 'soul'. But he believed that the body and soul were inseparable, this is the earlier monist ideas. Due to the soul and body not being able to separate this mean that the idea did not allow the soul to survive death. Aristotle did rethink this at times wondering if we did have non-physical elements to us, but it's not...
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...For centuries, philosophers have been contemplating the relationship between the body and the mind, creating a major conflict amongst theorists. Dualism is a theory that claims that the mind, a non-physical substance, is completely separate and distinct from the body, a physical substance. Originally coined by the famous philosopher René Descartes, dualism has since been argued against and overshadowed by numerous opposing theories. This was primarily due to the many weaknesses that dualism faced and the problems that could not be explained under this view. One of the opposing theories, functionalism, did not face the weaknesses that dualism did, and the problems they came across were not an issue for functionalists. This view, most strongly...
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