Philosophy concepts and applications

Mind-body debate is central to the philosophy of consciousness. Two of the most significant philosophers to specialize in the analysis of the mind-body relationship are Nicolas Malebranche, a French Cartesian dualist, and Gottfried Liebniz, a German philosopher of mind who consciously breaks from a dualistic metaphysic. These two philosophers present two divergent, yet strangely harmonious views of the mind-body interaction and the philosophical problems it creates. Insofar as the mind-body relationship is frequently framed as a "problem," there must be corresponding solutions to solving it. However, Liebniz does not view the mind-body relationship as a problem at all but rather, embraces a view that there is mind-body harmony. Mind and body are, to Liebniz, one and the same. This solution to the problem is compelling, but it can be problematic because it makes the establishment or understanding of causality difficult. Malebranche, on the other hand, embraces a dualistic perspective precisely because it allows for a discussion on causality. There are two express "solutions" to the mind-body "problem" in the Cartesian framework. One of those is that either the mind causes the body, or that the body causes the mind. The other is that God is the cause of both mind and body, but that mind and body are distinct. The aim of this paper is to argue in favor of Liebniz's doctrine of pre-established harmony as the most valid solution to the mind-body problem.

The goal of highlighting the efficacy of Liebniz's doctrine of pre-established harmony will be accomplished first by a thorough explication of Malebranche's brand of Cartesian duality. After a presentation of Malebranche's core framework of the mind-body problem, two attendant theses will be presented and evaluated on their merits. These two theses extend from the Malebranche philosophy of occasionalism, both suggesting that the mind and body are different. One of these theses is that God causes both mind and body but that mind and body are separate; and the other thesis is that mind and body are separate but one causes the other. After the analysis of dualistic solutions to the mind-body problem, a monistic philosophy will be presented. This monistic philosophy follows Liebniz's philosophy of harmony, and will be revealed to be satisfactory for understanding both causality and the nature of human consciousness itself.

Working within the Cartesian dualism framework, Malebranche takes a Platonic turn by suggesting a sort of realm containing absolute and divine forms. Malebranche's theory becomes the vision in God, meaning that humans perceive all things -- all forms and ideas -- in the mind of God (Schmaltz). There are distinct interactions between God's mind, the human mind, and the human body. Malebranche welcomes and in fact necessitates the existence of the human soul. The human soul is like the part of the human mind that is connected to the mind of God. Thus, the soul perceives the mind of God, and then transmits that information to the mundane mind, which then influences the human body. Using this hypothesis, the thoughts that rise and fall and all the perceptions and cognitions of daily experience have a divine origin. Human thought is a reflection of the mind of God. While Malebranche's theory of mind seems to detach itself from Cartesian duality, it is nevertheless offering a segmented view that the mind and the body are qualitatively and positively separate. The philosopher was heavily influenced by Descartes, who first offered thorough analyses of the mind-body problem by suggesting hard dualism.

Malebranche permits the development of several solutions to the mind-body problem. One of those solutions is that God is the ultimate cause of both mind and body. God is the only meaningful causal agent. Having a deity at the helm of consciousness effectively rules out genuine free will or volition in the human being. The human being is a tool of God, so to speak. The human body and mind are completely different, and both are different from God. On a metaphysical level, this suggests a fragmented view of reality, causality, and the universe. Sensations in the body are caused by movements in the mind, which are in turn stimulated by the will of God. While satisfying for the deist, the Malebranche argument of occasionalism is unsatisfying on several levels. For one, it requires belief in an absolute God, which has a mind of Its own. Second, occasionalism implies that human will and thought are entirely passive in nature.

Thus, Malebranche's duality can be reinterpreted to offer a second, related theory of mind-body interaction. That second theory may retain a belief in God but places a greater emphasis on human will and individuality. Unfortunately, the theory is itself dualistic in nature: either the body creates the mind, or the mind creates the body. When the body creates the mind, it is because the brain with all its electrical impulses and biochemical events creates the illusion that a human mind exists. In reality the mind does not exist at all, and it is simply an illusion. On the contrary, the theory allows for the mind to cause the body in that sensations of pleasure and happiness in the mind lead to sensations of pleasure and happiness in the body. These are satisfying theories of mind, in that they allow for a nuanced vision of human consciousness. Consciousness is, in both cases, somewhat illusory and dependent on God but it remains also distinct from the body. The body remains on a lower order of metaphysical structure, in which God is at the pinnacle of the hierarchy.