Navigation » List of Schools, Subjects, and Courses » Philosophy 100 – Introduction to Philosophy » Discussions » DB 8: What is the Mind? » DB 8: What is the Mind? Sample Answers
DB 8: What is the Mind?
Can the mind exist independently of the body? (i.e., Is it reducible to matter or is there some part that cannot be reduced to the physical?)
- If you consider the mind to be independent, then how does it interact with the body? (Or instead: How do you explain the fact that anything done to the body affects the mind and anything done to the mind affects the body?)
- If you consider the mind to be strictly physical (material), then how do thoughts arise out of simple matter? (Or instead: What special “something” do we have that allows for consciousness that other things like chairs do not have?)
- In either case, what evidence or reasons do you have for your view?
DB 8: What is the Mind? Answer
Yes, I believe that the mind could exist independently of the body. I do not consider the mind as extremely physical (brain). The brain is hardwired to do this and that, producing thoughts and working fundamentally to influence what happens in the body. Our physical body also influences the brain’s processes, prompting it to create thoughts and other physiological responses.