Explain Descartes substance dualism and some of its implications

Descartes made a philosophical distinction between the substances of body and mind. He identified seperate essences for the mind and the body, describing the mind as a non-extended thinking thing, whilst the body a non-thinking extended thing. This distinction came to represent his substance dualism and this gave rise to his famous assertion of 'cogito ergo sum', meaning 'I think therefore I am'. Due to the seperation of substances, an implication would be that the mind can exist and survive outside of the body and that the body has no capacity to 'think'. This philosophical position is significant because it allows for a belief in life after death and that the immaterial soul and the material body can exist seperately.

FL
Answered by Florence L. Philosophy tutor

4363 Views

See similar Philosophy A Level tutors

Related Philosophy A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is a Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God?


Describe Wittgenstein's approach to reality in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.


Explain the difference between analytic and ontological reduction


What is propositional knowledge?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning