Conatus: REVISED EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

C O N A T U S

of Descartes, then there is still an interaction problem to be solved between the body and the brain.

A further explanation of how mind and body are related is called ‘parallelism’. This claims that mind and body run independently but God or coincidence has arranged things so that they appear to be related.

A further theory is called ‘epiphenomenalism’. This suggests consciousness is entirely separate from mind and body, but somehow manages to get both mind (the workings of the brain) and body to do its bidding.

Another explanation is called ‘occasionalism’. God forms the link here. I decide with my mind that I want to move my arm and then God moves it for me! The problem here is that there are also thoughts that are inspired by memory or are disconnected with external stimulation. How can these thoughts be accounted for? And if all thought is just a by-product of the brain, which is really taking care of its own affairs, then I am effectively just an automaton, and not responsible for my actions. So for the most part my behaviour is determined — I have only an illusion of free will. (See Chapter 17.)

For a neat summary of all the theories, see Richard Taylor’s Metaphysics.

Whilst, as we’ve seen, many criticisms have been levelled at Cartesian dualism, nonetheless staying with the dualism of mind and body allows us the common-sense notion of standing ‘outside’ or ‘above’ the incoming sensory data

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