Mind and Body

PHILOSOPHICAL ARGUMENTS OF MIND AND BODY

BY

WESLEY LARUE

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY 2753

APRIL 23, 2013

The theory of the mind and body are controversial leaving them to be considered different. The mind being idealistic is explained in terms of immaterial minds and their states. The body being materialistic is explained in terms of matter and its state. By providing concise arguments to justify mind and body the differences will be clear.

One ancient philosophical view is materialism. The Milesians in ancient Greece, were known as the first philosophers, viewed the world form a materialist outlook. Materialism is the metaphysical system supporting and supported by both common sense and science. Materialist, look at the physical aspects of the world and try to explain it without using the mind.

The modern type of philosophical outlook is the view of idealism. The roots of modern idealism can be traced back to Rene Descartes. The view of idealism basis is based on the study of the mind. There are two types of idealism; there is the subjective idealism and the absolute idealism. The subjective idealist sees the world as a collection of minds and their ideas. The absolute idealist sees everything in the world as a part of one all-embracing universal mind.

Epicurus set up the first principle of materialism. Epicurus was born in 341 B.C.E. and died in 270 B.C.E. He was born on the island of Samos, Epicurus founded a philosophical community in Athens that was open to all and stressed the atomistic physics of Democritus. One view he has is which we call “void” and “space” and “the untouchable” did not exist, the particles of matter would have no place to exist or through which to move, as it is clear they do move. What he is basically saying is that idealists don’t believe the world has a material aspect to it then how would the material stuff in the world be able to move.

One of the more famous idealists George Berekeley, lead more to the...