Hobbes vs Descartes
The question I chose to answer was number 3. Contrast Descartes' thoughts of the mind against Hobbes thoughts. The paper will consist of the strengths and weaknesses of Cartesian Dualism. Cartesian Dualism claims the independent existence of a non-physical realm and a physical realm. Descartes' believed in a nonphysical soul inhabiting and using expression in a mechanically operated body. He knew that the reality of the body needed no proof, but the reality of the soul did. He believed that there were two ways to think about things; Conception and Imagination. Descartes' also believed that the body could be reduced but the soul could not. Descartes' uses the cogito argument; "I think, therefore I am" to prove the existence of the mind. Several notions explain Hobbes thoughts about the mind and body. Hobbes believes that imagination is nothing but a decaying sense. He says that memory of different things is experience, that the train of thoughts or mental discourse comes in two sorts. First the unguided, or without design thoughts and the other is regulated or designed thoughts. He believes that there are two sorts of motion, one called vital or involuntary motion and the other being voluntary motion.
There are two kinds of motion that Hobbes discusses; voluntary and involuntary motions. The first involuntary or vital motions are breathing, the course of blood through the body, for these kinds of motions no imagination is needed. The second kind of motion is voluntary. These kinds of motions are, speaking, walking. The imagination is the first internal beginning of all voluntary motions. If we think we can do it and imagine ourselves moving, it is possible. The small beginnings of motion within the body before they appear as walking or speaking are called "endeavors." These small beginnings of motions are the base of how we act to certain stimulus. Hobbes starts out by saying that the imagination is a decaying sense and is found in men, whether they're sleeping or awake. When the decay is expressed and the man signifies that the sense is fading or old it is called memory. Hobbes believes there are two kinds of imagination; simple and compounded imagination. Simple imagination is imagining the whole object as it was presented to the sense, like if someone imagines a pizza or food; they see it because they've seen it before. Compounded imagination is a fiction of the mind; you imagine something that does not exist. An example is when someone thinks their someone else because they were reading a book or from a movie. Hobbes has two sorts of thoughts; first unguided or undesigned thoughts; the second is regulated or designed thoughts. The unguided or undesigned thoughts ar
Some common words found in the essay are:
Descartes Moral, Imagination Descartes', Cartesian Dualism, Contrast Descartes', , mind body, agree descartes', descartes' believed, regulated designed, descartes' believed body, descartes' cogito argument, unguided undesigned, imagination decaying, descartes' body, imagination decaying sense, soul descartes', motions involuntary, involuntary motions,
Approximate Word count = 1016
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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