Descartes' imagination : unifying mind and body in sensory representation
The aim of this thesis is to investigate the role that the imagination plays in the later philosophy of RenĂ© Descartes. The thesis will look at two related questions: (i) the status of the imagination as a mode of thought dependent on the body; (ii) the role of the imagination in object-perception. Throughout, the traditional view of Descartes as a Cartesian Dualist is rejected and a more holistic approach is taken towards the relationship between mind and body, in which Descartesâ claims that the two make up a âsubstantial unionâ are taken seriously. Part One deals with the relationship between mind and body. I argue that Cartesian Dualism cannot account for the faculties of sensation and imagination, because they have a corporeal basis. However, the âunion of mind and bodyâ, Descartesâ device for explaining their interaction, can. I end Part One by identifying a problem with the paradigm case of mind-body interaction, object-perception. To determine the object of an idea there needs to be a mechanism to marry the two ingredients of perception: the innate ideas of geometry in the intellect, and âadventitiousâ ideas of the object delivered by the senses. Otherwise we have no explanation for
Graham, Claire
Descartes' imagination : unifying mind and body in sensory representation. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the role that the imagination plays in the later philosophy of RenĂ© Descartes. The thesis will look at two related questions: (i) the status of the imagination as a mode of thought dependent on the body; (ii) the role of the imagination in object-perception. Throughout, the traditional view of Descartes as a Cartesian Dualist is rejected and a more holistic approach is taken towards the relationship between mind and body, in which Descartesâ claims that the two make up a âsubstantial unionâ are taken seriously. Part One deals with the relationship between mind and body. I argue that Cartesian Dualism cannot account for the faculties of sensation and imagination, because they have a corporeal basis. However, the âunion of mind and bodyâ, Descartesâ device for explaining their interaction, can. I end Part One by identifying a problem with the paradigm case of mind-body interaction, object-perception. To determine the object of an idea there needs to be a mechanism to marry the two ingredients of perception: the innate ideas of geometry in the intellect, and âadventitiousâ ideas of the object delivered by the senses. Otherwise we have no explanation for
descartes imagination unifying mind_body sensory representation aim_investigate role_imagination play later_philosophy descartes look two_related question status imagination mode_think dependent body role_imagination object_perception throughout traditional_view descartes cartesian dualist reject holistic take towards relationship mind body descartes claim make_substantial union take_seriously part_one deal relationship mind body argue cartesian dualism account faculty sensation imagination corporeal basis however union mind_body descartes device explain interaction can end part_one identifying problem paradigm_case mind_body interaction object_perception determine object idea need mechanism marry ingredient perception innate idea geometry intellect idea object deliver sens otherwise explanation