Aquinas Vs Descartes Research Paper

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Recommended: Descartes' argument for the distinction between the mind and the body

As seen from his Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes view of the human person is a form of ultra-dualism, similar to Plato—where body and mind are separate substances. This theory gives rise to many questions and problems, which we shall thus explore. St. Thomas Aquinas before him, taught that the human person was body and soul, two forming one compound, based on the aristotelian understanding of form and matter. For Descartes, mind and body as separate substances differs from this understanding, but it is interesting that both Aquinas and Descartes see that the soul as substantial. Each view of the person differs greatly which comes with significant consequences. By pitting Descartes view against St. Thomas Aquinas' view we …show more content…

How is the relationship between the soul and body important to understanding a person? Are there two natures in a person—one for the mind and one for the body? Is the body an extension of the soul only? The purpose of this essay, then, is to outline Descartes understanding of the mind and the body, as found from his meditations, and compare them with St. Thomas to see if his soul-body unity answers these questions satisfactorily. Thus we shall see the Thomistic concept of the human person still to be a more reasonable explanation than the cartesian. Let us examine a sketch outline of Descartes view of the body and mind's relationship from arguably his most famous philosophical work, Meditations on First Philosophy. Descartes lays out his philosophy of the human person on the foundation that, “essence consists solely in the fact that I am a thinking thing ”. First, let us note that for Descartes the terms 'mind' and 'soul' are used synonymously, but still such terms do not for him mean quite the same thing as Aquinas, which we will later see. Let us recall how Descartes developed his res-cogitans; this will help to put his views in context. Descartes would start by going backwards—doubting …show more content…

These three points are: 1.) I have a clear and distinct idea of the mind as a thinking, non-extended thing. 2.) I have a clear and distinct idea of body as an extended, non-thinking thing. 3.) Therefore, the mind is really distinct from the body and can exist without it. For Descartes his mind is thinking and non-extended is obvious because must think to reach this conclusion and it is non-extended because to think is a part of his essence as said before. His body is non-thinking thing and extended, because he sees the body does not think and is merely an extension of his mind. This means that his mind and body must be

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