Rene Descartes v. Thomas Nagel: perspectives on the mind and consciousness

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[...] While these two philosophers have different views on the idea of the mind and the body, it is clear that the question at hand has no right answer. It is impossible to accept one particular viewpoint and denounce another, based on the fact that as human beings, we do not have all the answers. The concept of the mind and the body, and what influences and organisms' motivation and behavior is a question that has been the topic of debate and controversy for many centuries, and will continue to be an ever- present issue of discussion for many years to come. [...]

[...] Works Cited René Descartes. Meditations. John Cottingham, Cambridge University Press Nagel, Thomas. What is it like to be a Bat? The Philosophical Review LXXXIII (October 1974): 435-5. [...]

[...] Rene Descartes and Thomas Nagel, two renowned philosophers, have written extensively on the subject, both with their own personal views on the subject of the mind and consciousness. While Descartes lived in a time where belief in God was expected, Nagel developed his ideas in an era where science and technology played a bigger role, thus influencing his ideas and thinking. In Descartes' Meditation Descartes discusses the idea of the body and the impact the mind has on the perception of the body. [...]

[...] And accordingly, it is certain that I am really distinct from my body and can exist without it" (190). Thus, according to Descartes, the mind and the body are two distinct substances, and although they are always separate and divergent, they are interdependent and united in each organism. Nagel, on the other hand, has a different view of the issue of the mind and body. According to Nagel's “What is it Like to Be a Nagel makes an argument that in order to understand another organism, one must accept that the idea of consciousness is imperative. [...]