1. Reality’s Two for One Special:A Comparison Between Descartes’ Dualism and Spinoza’s Monism Cheryl Bennett PHI 200 Professor Henry May 24, 2010

2. Is Reality Reality? Is what humanity calls Reality really reality, and is humanity dual in nature or monistic? Rene Descartes and Baruch Spinoza were two philosophers that attempt to investigate and answer that particular question by using both mathematical theories and intense examinations of the universe, humankind, and the psyche.

4. Died in 1650 in Sweden due to pneumonia.

5. Was a mathematician who tried to prove his philosophy theories through mathematical means.

6. Commenced the belief in rationalism and the dualism of the mind and body.

8. Conversation with Burman, 1648

9. Correspondence, post hum. 1657

10. The Description of the Human Body, 1647

11. Discourse on the Method, 1637

12. Geometry, 1637

13. Meditations on First Philosophy, 1641

14. Passions of the Soul, 1649

15. Principles of Philosophy, 1644

16. Rules for the Direction of the Mind, 1630

17. Treatise on the World, 1633

19. Died in 1677.

20. Was a lens grinder and mathematician.

21. Was an excommunicated Jew due to his beliefs that the Hebrew bible was just a teaching tool and that God was the universe and not a supernatural being.

23. Ethics Demonstrated According to the Geometrical Order, 1677

24. Hebrew Grammar, 1677

25. On the Improvement of the Understanding, 1662

26. Short Treatise on God, Man and His Well-Being, 1660s

27. Principles of Cartesian Philosophy, 1663

28. Thoughts on Metaphysics, 1663

30. Believed mathematics the best assessment of truth and knowledge.

31. Believed that God was the primary substance which created all other substances.

32. Were fearful of persecution by church officials.

34. The mind and body are two distinct and separate substances extended from God.

35. Monism

37. (Irwin, 2002, pp. 68-69.)

38. The Universe can be explained both mechanically and mathematically since all actions are in some way an adjustment of the interchanges between the physical body and the ethereal mind substances since each subsists independently from the other.

40. Everything (action and material) is due to a series of triggers like a tree’s existence is triggered by the actions of another substance such as the wind, rain, and sunshine.

42. Mathematical methods of Reasoning:

43. Intuition: the understanding of self-evident principles

44. Deduction: orderly, logical reasoning from self-evident propositions

45. Skepticism

47. Imagination: A faculty of forming imagistic representations of things, derived ultimately from the mechanisms of the senses.

48. Intellect: A faculty of forming adequate, non-imagistic conceptions of things.

49. There are three types of wisdom

50. Opinion or Imagination: Indiscriminate or uncertain influences like word of mouth and sensory information.

51. Reason: Mutual or proven concepts like triangles have three sides that meet together by way of three angles.

52. Intuitive: The definite facts about a subject along with the how and why the facts are true.(The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, 1999)

54. The mind is capable of free will but the body is dependent upon the mind for its actions.

56. Virtue’s two classes:

57. Tenacity: “the Desire by which each one strives, solely from the dictate of reason, to preserve his being”

58. Nobility: “the Desire by which each one strives, solely from the dictate of reason, to aid other men and join them to him in friendship.”

60. (Lavine, pp.124-125)

61. The mind alone has the ability to make its own choices but the body does not.

63. either to preserve their survival

64. or make friends.

65. A person’s actions are ultimately determined by God.

67. Since he was conscious of the awareness of his thoughts, he must exist.

68. His hypothesis that ideas are from the mind only and not the physical brain tissue. Therefore, mental states have no effect in nor are they affected by the physical world.

70. Personal identity remains the same regardless of physical changes, like a person losing weight does not alter who they are mentally.

71. Identity can be erased if a person’s memories are erased through injury or disease.

73. Humankind makes and acts upon bad choices due to insufficient evidence because their understanding from God is incomplete.

75. Defined evil as the equivalent to a lack of logical knowledge since any action taken without reason only produces undesirable results.

76. (Frost, 1942, p.92)

77. Evil comes from the obstruction of a person’s desire to do the right thing since people yearn to be righteous, either to preserve their survival or to gain allies

79. Human beings are an extension of God’s singular substance and are divided into two separate imperfect substances.

81. Man is a single imperfect extension of God’s perfect singular substance.

83. Epistemology- The study of knowledge

84. Ethics- The study of moral value

85. Free will- The will is free to make its own choice of actions.

86. Determinism- The theory that everything happens necessarily in accordance with one or more scientific causal laws and that there is no free will.

87. Personal identity- The belief that people change throughout their lives and yet remain physically the same but not mentally the same.

89. References Kemerling, G., (1997.) Baruch Spinoza. Retrieved May 8, 2010 from http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/spin.htm Lavine, T., (1984.) From Socrates to Sartre: The Philosophic Quest. New York: NY Lin, M., (2005). Memory and Personal Identity in Spinoza. Canadian Journal ofPhilosophy, 35(2), 243- 268,353. Retrieved May 8, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 912992801).

90. References Popkin, R. and Stroll, A., (1981.) Philosophy Made Simple. New York: NY SparkNotes Editors. (2006.) Philosophy Classics. New York: NY Spinoza, Baruch (1632-1677). (1999). In The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Retrieved on May 8, 2010 from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/cupdphil/spinoza_baruch_1632_1677

91. References: Images The Professor Network. (2004.)Baruch or Benedict Spinoza. Retrieved on May 8, 2010 from http://www.philosophyprofessor.com/philosophers/baruch-spinoza.php The Professor Network. (2004.)Rene Descartes. Retrieved on May 8, 2010 from http://www.philosophyprofessor.com/philosophers/rene-descartes.php http://www.philosophyprofessor.com/images/philosophers/rene-descartes.jpg http://www.philosophyprofessor.com/images/philosophers/baruch-spinoza.jpg