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Descartes - Passions
Descartes separated the functions of the mind from the functions of the "machine of the body," stating that the body operates more like the motions of a watch, which are produced merely by the inner springs and wheels (Article 16). He felt that there was nothing remaining within ourselves that could be attributed to the soul except for our thoughts, and these he felt could be further categorized into two kinds: actions of the soul and passions of the soul. The "actions," he felt, were those pertaining to the human will (17), and the passions of the soul, he felt could better be described as apprehensions.
The will or actions, he further broke down into two separate categories - one being the application of thought to any object which is not material, such as God, and the other being thought that brings about obedient motion of the "machine" otherwise known as the body (18). The apprehensions or passions of the soul, he also divided into two categories, one being apprehensions caused by the soul, and the other being apprehensions caused by the body. In giving a description of what he felt were the only apprehensions or passions emanating from the soul, he felt they could be generally defined as wrathful resentments, or feelings of joy (27). He therefore concluded that it is the soul which enables the human to have what he felt was an experience limited only to human beings - that of having emotion, and then being capable of willing the body to go into action according to those emotions which emanate not from the "machinery of the body," but which emanate only from the soul.
While Descartes felt that the soul and the body function separately, he also felt that the soul was attached to all parts of the body (30), but resided in no particular area except one. In finding that everything can be divided into two halves or found in pairs, i.e., ears, eyes, arms, legs, lungs, lobes, ventricles, etc., he found one organ that is not halved or paired, and because of this, he felt it is the place that is the seat of the soul - the pineal gland (32).
Works Cited
Descartes. Rene. Passions of the Soul. 1649. Claremont Graduate University. May, 2000.
2/10/02
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