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Physicalism A* essay for AQA Philosophy
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‘Physicalism is correct.’ Discuss.Physicalism argues that everything that exists is physical or supervenes on the physical
(including the mind and mental states). The opposing view to this is dualism, the theory that
there are two kinds of ontologically distinct substances (the mental and physical). In this
essay, I will argue that physicalism is correct by evaluating Descartes’ two main arguments:
a) the argument from conceivability (which is the weaker of the two) and b) the argument
from indivisibility.
It is also important to note that in order for the dualist arguments to defeat physicalism,
they must present a highly damaging argument as using logic from Ockham’s razor, when
presented with two arguments, we should choose the simpler of the two, and the one
which requires the existence of the least number of things. Dualism presents the view that
there must be 2 things existing (either the mental and physical are 2 distinct substances, as
presented by substance dualism, or that there are at least some mental properties that do
not supervene on the physical and are hence distinct from the physical, as presented by
property dualism). Physicalism, however presents the view that only one thing exists – the
physical – as the mental either is, supervenes on, or can be reduced to the physical.
Therefore, using Ockham’s razor, we are inclined to favour the physicalist theory of mind
over the dualist theory, unless the dualist presents a robust argument against physicalism.
Descartes presents his argument from conceivability in Meditation VI. His argument is as
follows:
P1. I have a clear and distinct idea of myself as something that thinks and isn’t extended.
P2. I have a clear and distinct idea of the body as something that is extended and does not
think.
P3. If I have a clear and distinct idea of something, God can create it in a way that
corresponds to my thought,
C1. Therefore, God can create mind as something that thinks and isn’t extended and body as
something that is extended and does not think.
C2. Therefore, mind and body can exist independently of one another.
C3. Therefore, mind and body are two distinct substances.
or in short: P1. It is conceivable that mind can exist without body.
IC: Therefore it is possible that mind can exist without body.
C: Therefore, mind and body are distinct substances.
In P1 and P2, Descartes uses the light of reason to realise that he has a clear and distinct
idea of what the mind and what the body is - he has a complete understanding of the two as
distinct, complete and exclusive substances. In P3, Descartes suggests that there is no logical
contradiction in conceiving of the mind without the body. As no logical contradiction arises,
it is possible for God to create the two as distinct substances just as Descartes conceives
them (as the only thing God cannot create is something that results in a logical
contradiction). From C2 to C3, Descartes infers actual possibility from logical possibility and
argues that the mind and body do actually exist separately. Therefore, according to
Descartes’ argument, the mind and body exist as two distinct substances, and therefore the
, mind does not supervene on the physical, nor does it exist as a physical thing and thus,
physicalism is false.
However, Descartes’ form of reasoning is controversial as many physicalist theories of the
mind argue that the mind is the body and the body is the mind. For example, behaviourism
argues that mental states should be analysed in terms of behaviour, and thus the mind
cannot exist independently of the body. Without a body, something can’t exhibit behaviour,
and without behaviour there is no mind according to behaviourism. If the theory is correct,
the mind is inconceivable without the body, and therefore physicalism is correct. This is a
very strong response as it shows that Descartes begs the question by assuming physicalism
is false and that the mind and body can exist separately. As his argument commits a fallacy
and there is a flaw in reasoning, it presents a very weak challenge to physicalism.
However, Descartes can respond that because he has a clear and distinct idea of the mind as
an indivisible thing that is not extended in space, and the body as a divisible, extended
thing, he is correct to say that he can conceive of the mind without the body as there are
clearly two distinct things. This is a weak challenge as he proceeds to infer metaphysical
possibility from logical possibility - the logical leap made further exhibits the weakness of
the reasoning used throughout the argument. Just because something is logically possible (it
does not present an analytic falsehood) does not mean it is metaphysically (respecting
metaphysical identity) and actually possible (consistent with the laws of nature in this
universe). As the reasoning used throughout the argument is weak, physicalism remains
unchallenged by Descartes’ argument from conceivability.
Another response to his argument is that Descartes has not ruled out other possibilities -
even if one allows that it’s metaphysically possible that the mind can exist as distinct from
the body, Descartes hasn’t ruled out the other alternatives in this world. Nothing in his
arguments show that the physical can’t be an extended thing that can think. Also, it is
possible to have a non-physical thinking thing according to Descartes, but he hasn’t ruled
out a physical thinking thing- in this universe, the extended brain could do the thinking. As
he hasn’t shown that a thinking, physical thing is impossible, he cannot conclude that the
mind and body actually do exist independently of each other. This is a strong response to
Descartes’ argument as he is unable to show that the mind cannot be a physical thinking
thing so it is possible that the mind and body do not exist independently of each other. As
he cannot rule out this possibility, the mind can supervene on the physical and therefore
physicalism is true. Furthermore, in this instance the dualist has been unable to provide
sufficient reasoning to go against Ockham’s razor and favour a dualist stance (the less simple
explanation) over a the physicalist theory, which further strengthens the physicalist position
as opposed to the dualist position.
A stronger argument that Descartes presents in favour of dualism is his argument from
indivisibility. His argument states that:
P1: If 2 things are identical, they share all their properties (Leibniz’s principle of the
Indiscernibility of Identicals)
P2: The mind is indivisible (we can’t conceive of it having parts)
P3: The body is divisible (we can divide it into different parts such as hands, legs)
C: Mind and body are distinct substances.
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