Thesis
What differentiates humans from other species? How do we make decisions, think of ideas and come to conclusions? What exactly is a mind? The mind refers to the thinking-feeling function resulting from our brain. The brain is the organ, the mind its function, or as John Searle says, “the mind is to the brain as the program is to the hardware” (Minds, Brains, and Programs). Our mind allows us to be conscious, create scenarios and interpret experiences. It allows us to daydream, plan the future, to foreshadow events. The choices we make and the beliefs we were taught separate us from other individuals, meaning the nature of a mind is completely different from that of a body. Your mind is a thinking, mental realm located in your brain while your body is a non-thinking, physical realm made of atoms and neurons. There is constant communication between the mind and the body through messengers like hormones and neurotransmitters that allow humans to carry out functions, but the body cannot process without the mind. You are identical to your mind.
Positive argument
You are identical to your mind because your mind is the master of your body. Our mind is the central hub that makes us humans who we are, it allows us to be individualized. This relates to Descartes’ idea of “Cognito ergo sum”, meaning “I think, therefore I am” (Descartes and Mind-Body Dualism). If you don’t have control over your mind, you are not in total control of your own actions and cannot fully function on a daily basis. When you change your mindset, your body will physically change. Think of a time when you were very stressed out. Whether the stress came from work, school, or personal relationships your emotions changed. You became anxious, sad, and maybe even depressed; you could not focus on anything else besides the stressor. Your mind is so powerful that this negative energy in your life probably caused you to have a headache, stomach pain, or other physical tension. You may not realize it on a daily basis, but our minds are very powerful tools and are unlimited in potential. The thoughts we have in our mind physically affect our actions and how our body feels.
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The mind has many functions, including thinking, feeling, and wanting. Our thoughts and feelings can affect our biological function, thus physically changing how we react to stimuli and the way our body moves. When thinking about taking a sip of water from a glass, your mind first has to process that you are thirsty, and will send a message through your neurons to your arm, which then picks up the glass and carries it to your lips. Without a mind, your body cannot carry out the functions that you are thinking or feeling.
The ability to make decisions and think differentiates humans from other species. Can a whale stop itself from beaching itself onto the shore? No. Does a school of fish know not to swim near a shark to avoid being eaten? No. That’s all because the human mind has the ability to process information and make important decisions better, feeding this information to your body to carry out. Clearly, as we know the human mind also has the ability to make very poor decisions, such as crime and murder. Without the mind, however, the body would just be an amoeba, with little ability to sustain itself. John Searle explains that “The study of the mind starts with such facts as that humans have beliefs, while thermostats, telephones, and adding machines don't” (Minds, Brains, and Programs).
Your mind and body are connected in some ways. How you think sometimes affects how you feel, and can work in the opposite way as well. After a hard workout, your muscles are sore and your heart is beating fast. You are worn out, and tired, but feel happy and on top of the world. Your endorphins flowing through your body elicit a positive attitude in your mind, which can turn your whole day around. Your physical body movement can cause your mind to change its character almost immediately. Often when I am stressed after an exam or a long day at school, before I let my mind control my body and give me a painful migraine, I head over to the gym and let my worries escape my brain. Descartes's view of Dualism is that the mind and the body exist as different entities, and can function fully without the other.
Objections
Now, the body plays an important role in our life and I can understand why some believe we are identical to our bodies. I mean, we wouldn’t even be able to have a concept about life without our bodies. Bodies play a huge role in carrying out processes and are the physical structure of a person or an animal. Your body affects your mind all the time. Your body puts thoughts into action, and without it, we would not be able to grow and develop as strong individuals. “The sources of behavior are external (in the environment), not internal (in the mind, in the head)” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). The mind cannot do this, it cannot produce physical actions to help us move forward. Some may argue that the mind simply does not exist, since there is no physical structure to hold it.
Response to objections
However, we are not identical in our bodies. The mind is essential to who we are, while the body is not. Your body is a physical realm, filled with elements, organs, and atoms. It is hard to distinguish one human being’s body from another without knowing about their attitudes, personalities, and goals, which are created in the brain. Descartes even says, “...[that is, my mind, by which I am what I am], is entirely and truly distinct from my body, and may exist without it” (Meditation 6.9). Our bodies do not define us. The weight we carry, and the physical flaws we show do not make us who we are. Think of a pair of twin girls standing next to each other. Both are wearing straight blonde hair, white shirts, and blue jeans. They are smiling, looking off into the distance. How can you distinguish one of their bodies from the other? Sure, maybe one has a scrape on her knee or a larger freckle on their arm. Other than that, you can’t.
You are not identical to your body because your body is a physical mass that cannot express itself. Your body cannot explain your thoughts and feelings besides a little movement of language. This pair of twins can only be seen as two different humans by what they think, how they act, the ideas they create in their minds, and their outlook on life. They are two very different people and create experiences in their brains that they cannot express if they did not have a mind.
Personal view
The reason I chose this topic is that I find it very interesting how our physical bodies cannot follow through with actions or experience any ideas without our minds. Our mind is the central hub that makes us humans who we are, it allows us to be individualized. Relating to my own life, I have noticed through shadowing at the hospital that machines can sometimes keep a body going in the hospital room, but the body cannot physically function without your mind and brain. Countless times I have entered a room with the Occupational Therapist at my side to help assist with the patient, and they are unable to communicate with us because of an injury from a stroke or another traumatic brain injury. Their minds cannot gather the ideas to produce a sentence, therefore their body cannot do any physical actions. Even if their body is in perfect shape and in physically good condition, they cannot get up and walk away if their brain cannot process this task. This is why feeding tubes are so beneficial in this environment. When we are unable to mentally express that we are hungry, we cannot physically grab food from the table. A feeding tube is a medical device used to provide nutrition to people who cannot physically obtain it by mouth. The body cannot function without your mind, and without your brain and mind's mental states you cannot carry out a normal life.
An inspirational figure that came to my mind while writing this essay is Charles Krauthammer, a political columnist from New York. While he was studying at Harvard Medical School, he was badly injured in a diving board accident one day, causing him to become quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down. His body was broken, but his mind was sharp. His disability did not stop him from succeeding in life. He graduated, became a psychiatrist, and used his intelligence to direct research and share his experiences with the world. Just because his body could not function the same as his peers, this did not stop his brain from flourishing. His mind remained sharp and allowed him to become an inspiration for many.
In conclusion, if you don’t have control over your mind, you don’t have total control over your body. You are identical to your mind.
Works Cited:
- Cambridge Press. “Descartes: 'I Think Therefore I Am | Chapter 7: Knowledge and Learning | New Learning | New Learning.” New Learning, newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-7/descartes-i-think-therefore-i-am.
- Graham, George. “Behaviorism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 19 Mar. 2019, plato.stanford.edu/entries/behaviorism/#1.
- Lieberman, Matthew. “The Mind-Body Illusion.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 17 May 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-brain-social-mind/201205/the-mind-body-illusion.
- Pryor, Jim. “Central Problems in Philosophy.” UA 1. Central Problems in Philosophy, 27 Jan. 2007, www.jimpryor.net/teaching/courses/intro/notes/meditation6.html.
- Searle, John. “Mind, Brains and Programs.” Mind, Brains and Programs, Cambridge University Press, 14 July 2003, cogprints.org/7150/1/10.1.1.83.5248.pdf.
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