Dualism (philosophy of mind) facts for kids

Dualism is a big idea in philosophy that helps us think about how our minds and bodies work. It's the belief that your mind and your body are actually two completely different things. Imagine your thoughts, feelings, and consciousness as one part, and your physical body (like your brain, hands, and feet) as another. Dualism says these two parts are separate, even though they work together.

What is Dualism?

One of the most famous ideas about dualism comes from a brilliant thinker named René Descartes. He lived a long time ago, in the 1600s. His idea is often called Cartesian dualism, named after him. Descartes believed that the mind and the body were made of two totally different kinds of "stuff," or what philosophers call "substances."

He thought your mind was a non-physical substance, meaning it doesn't take up space and isn't made of matter like a rock or a tree. It's where your thoughts, feelings, and awareness come from. On the other hand, your body is a physical substance. It's made of matter, takes up space, and follows the rules of physics, just like everything else in the world.

Mind and Body: Separate or Connected?

Descartes' view is also known as substance dualism because he saw minds and bodies as two completely different types of substances. He wondered how these two very different things—a non-physical mind and a physical body—could possibly interact with each other. For example, how does your mind decide to move your hand, and then your physical hand actually moves? This question has puzzled philosophers for centuries!

Many people find dualism an interesting way to think about consciousness. It suggests that your "self" or your "mind" might be something more than just your brain. It could be something that exists separately from your physical body.

Images for kids

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  Cartesian dualism compared to three forms of monism.

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  Another one of Descartes' illustrations. The fire displaces the skin, which pulls a tiny thread, which opens a pore in the ventricle (F) allowing the "animal spirit" to flow through a hollow tube, which inflates the muscle of the leg, causing the foot to withdraw.

See also

In Spanish: Dualismo mente-cuerpo para niños