Rene Descartes 1596-1650 Rene Descartes 1596-1650

Two Arguments for Mind-BodyDistinction in Meditation 6:The first argument is that he has aclear and distinct understanding ofthe mind as a thinking, non-extendedthing and of the body as anextended, non-thinking thing. Sothese respective ideas are clearlyand distinctly understood to beopposite from one another and,therefore, each can be understoodall by itself without the other.Two Arguments:1. Clear and distinctunderstanding of mind as athinking-non-extended thing& body as an extended, nonthinkingthing: (a) argumentfrom knowledge; (b)argument from extension.2. Two Nature Argument:Mind and body cannot havethe same nature, for if thiswere true, then the samething would be both divisibleand not divisible, which isimpossible140