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Descartes: A Metaphysical Study of the Self

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Descartes asks the question, How can a body, which is material and occupies space, affect something which is immaterial and does not occupy space?

Create your own metaphysical framework for the "self" by describing: 1.) your "self" as a thinking subject; 2.) your "self" as a physical body; 3.) your analysis of how these two aspects of your "self" relate to one another.

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Solution Summary

The solution is a sample metaphysical framework based on the example exhibited by Rene Descartes in his investigations on knowledge, awareness, cognition, being and identity through his work 'Meditations' and 'Pure Inquiry'. It is an analysis and study on a personal level of the metaphysics of self relating mind, body and the manner by which they work and come together to create a 'me'. The solution numbers at 1,214 words. References are listed following the APA format. A word version is attached for easy printing.

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Dear Student,
Hello. By now, I know you are quite familiar with Descartes ideas. The questions posed in this assignment asks you to do a bit of reflection, an application of Descartes' theories and views by creating a metaphysical framework of your self. This requires a lot of abstraction but, as long as you keep his idea in mind, it is not going to be that difficult. The solution below is concise - an example of doing said reflection for your benefit. Good luck and thank you for using Brainmass.

Sincerely,
OTA 105878/Xenia Jones
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Descartes Metaphysical framework

In his work 'Meditations', Rene Descartes questioned existence, rationality, cognition, truth, reality and the idea of God. He concluded that his mind is what allows his being, his existence. He feels and utilises his body through his senses, attributing him with the ability to 'see and experience' the world. He perceives, thinks, imagines, learns through the capacity of his body via the ability of his mind to 'think', to confront what is before him. His mind is the epicenter of his 'being', his body the tool of life, his experience. It is the body that 'connects' the mind to the experience of living but it is the mind that gives the body its uniqueness, its individuality, its being. Via doubt he arrives at one undboutable truth - man is a thinking thing. Consciousness, thought and awareness is that one immediate action of man when he opens his eyes in the morning and finds himself conscious. The eyes are useful because it is wired to the mind, controlling the manner by which the capacity of man to see is used, viewing what is before him - in light and in dark, processing it all as a series of information that allows the viewer to know, to be, to understand or to place himself in the physical world with the use of the sense of sight. Similarly, all other senses ...

Solution provided by:
Xenia Rochelle Jones, MA, PhD (IP)
Education
  • MPhil/PhD (IP), Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • MA, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • Certificate, Geva Ulpan (via Universita Tel Aviv)
  • BA, University of the Philippines
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