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Cartesian Dualism

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Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior

Definition

A philosophic doctrine originating from Descartes stating that there are two categories of things in existence, the physical and the mental.

Introduction

Cartesian dualism was created by Descartes, a seventeenth-century Frenchman who made significant contributions to philosophy, mathematics, and science. He is primarily known as the father of modern philosophy and a key figure in the scientific revolution due to his mathematical legacy, weakening of the church’s influence on philosophy, and inspiring future scientists like Newton. One of his greatest contributions to philosophy was his revival of several key philosophy debates from the Greeks, including that of monism versus dualism. The doctrine of monism asserts that everything in existence can fit within one category, or type, of “thing.” Monism has two primary facets: materialism and idealism. Materialism is the theory that all things are physical in nature. Idealism is the less popular belief that all things are...

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References

  • Chalmers, D. J. (1995). Facing up to the problem of consciousness. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 2(3), 200–219. Retrieved from http://consc.net/papers/facing.html

  • Descartes, R. (1637/2007, November). In J. Bennet (Ed. & Trans.), Discourse on the method of rightly conducting one’s reason and seeking truth in the sciences (Part Four). Retrieved from http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/descartes1637.pdf

  • Descartes, R. (1641/2007, April). In J. Bennet (Ed. & Trans.), Meditations on First Philosophy in which are demonstrated the existence of God and the distinction between the human soul and body (Sixth Meditation). Retrieved from http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/descartes1641_3.pdf

  • Descartes, R. (1998). Treatise on man. In S. Gaukroger (Trans.), The world and other writings (pp. 99–170). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, 63501, USA

    William T. Leach

Authors
  1. William T. Leach
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Correspondence to William T. Leach .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University , Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Jennifer Vonk

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University Department of Psychology, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Hofstra University, Long Island, USA

    Oskar Pineno

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

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Leach, W.T. (2017). Cartesian Dualism. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1254-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1254-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-47829-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-47829-6

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