Dualism

Introduction
Dualism holds that mind and body are two separate things altogether. This would appear to make sense based off our everyday interactions, as you don't feel to have lost anything from your mind if your body is damaged. Outside of the obvious pain, you can imagine that your mind would not be changed if you were separated from a foot or hand. This theory is also one of the only views of the nature of being that allows for life after death, as if the two are separable then the mind could pass to an afterlife, whereas one bound to a physical form could not.

Dualism walks the line between the entirely mental Solipsism, and the materialist theories. However, as Descartes finds, sometimes arguing for a separation can lead to going one way or the other.

Plato
Big Grandaddy of the theory, pioneered it with 'the forms', as our mental state transcends our physical existence and will return to another body later when the one you're in dies.

Descartes
Biggest advocate of the theory in (relatively) recent times and a victim of his own success. Argued his case so well that he couldn't really finish his thesis without resorting to PINEAL GLAND!

Variations
Substance Dualism

Property Dualism

[[Category:D]]