Cartesian Dualism and Its Metaphysical Implications in Today's Philosophical Landscape

• Paul Oluwatosin Agordi

  Dominican University, Ibadan

  Author

This paper critically examines René Descartes' theory of substance dualism in the context of its metaphysical implications within our contemporary ambit. Descartes' theory of substance dualism was born out of his philosophical impetus to debunk scepticism by establishing a foundational knowledge claim built on reason and the indubitable existence of the thinking self, and to respond critically to the rise of mechanical science that was flourishing in the 17th century. This dualism posits the existence of two distinct substances, the mind and the body, which interact causally with each other. As a result, Descartes veered off the Aristotelian hylomorphic framework, which unified the form (soul) and the matter (body) as a single substance.

The study begins with a conceptual clarification of “substance” and “dualism,” drawing insights from both classical and modern thinkers, including Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Locke. It then juxtaposes Descartes' substance dualism with Aristotle's theory of substance, emphasizing the shift from a unified model to a dualistic model. Thus, Descartes' cogito argument is presented as the foundational moment in this paradigm shift.

Through a comparative analysis, this paper investigates the metaphysical implications of Descartes' substance dualism across several philosophical domains, including issues on personal identity, epistemology, scientific physicalism, neuroscience, the mind-body interaction problem, on free will and moral responsibility, the afterlife, and lastly, on Artificial Intelligence (AI) which is the “new science” in our world today.

However, despite the foundational impact of the Cartesian dualism and its effort to account for consciousness, the paper argues that the Cartesian dualism, though influential, remains philosophically problematic and inept in debunking scepticism. Its legacy has ignited and continues to inspire diverse responses from philosophers and schools of thought such as occasionalism, parallelism, physicalism, and functionalism, all seeking to address the persistent mind-body problem it created.

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