The Soul Essay, Research Paper
Out of all the philosophers we have examined in this unit, Ren? Descartes ( On Thinking and the Soul ) presents the best statement about what a psyche and organic structure are. In contrast, I believe that Locke? s reading of the organic structure, head, psyche and ego was my least favourite reading. Ren? Descartes believed the psyche is a pure, unitary believing thing that has no weight and occupies no infinite. The psyche, harmonizing to Descartes, has clear and distinguishable thoughts of affairs that can be conceived of in mathematical footings. The organic structure, harmonizing to Descartes, is a material thing that operates automatically, in conformity of cause and consequence. The organic structure moves automatically through musculuss and nervousnesss and generates its ain heat. Identity, Descartes believed, comes from the psyche. The organic structure acts as a container for the psyche and is wholly separate from a individual? s individuality. Descartes besides believed that ideas in the psyche depend merely on the psyche and non on the organic structure. Therefore, since the lone thing that the psyche can make is believe than he must be a psyche. Locke believed that Descartes equation of the psyche is wholly false. Locke noted that if the psyche left the organic structure during sleep ( Descartes ) than it could personify skip into other single. This result of Descartes theory is wholly absurd to Locke. Locke believed that the individuality of a individual comes from his/her organic structure. Acc
ording to Locke, the ?same soul? criterion used by Descartes won?t do as an explanation. He believed that same matter could not be used as a criterion for human identity because matter in ones body turns over through the death of old cells and the birth of new ones. I agree with Descartes notion of self-identity because the soul is separate from the body. I believe that ones body is plagued with several particulars such as hair, arms, legs etc. The soul is a universal entity, meaning everyone has one. I disagree with Locke?s account of the body as a person?s identity because he believed that people could lose consciousness or memory over parts of their lives. This lost part of someone?s life would cause that person to change his/her identity. I believe that if the soul is the thinking agent and if it is universal, than it could not and would not lose consciousness or memory, causing a person to keep his/her original identity. Rather, when consciousness or memory is lost, it is lost due to the imperfections found in a person?s material shell, the body I believe, thanks to Descartes, that a person has two separate entities. The first is the body. The body is made up of particulars and other matter that allows it to function like a container. The second entity is the soul. Here, all thinking processes are done, the function of the brain is to separate the sensations throughout the body.
