Descartes sixth meditation is about the existence of material things and the real difference
between the mind and the body. Dualism is basic definition is the belief that something is
composed of two fundamentally different components. Descartes dualism belief was that a man
consisted of two components: matter and mind. Matter is in reference to the physical stuff such
as walking and talking. Mind is in reference to the nonphysical substance which is also seen as
the soul which thinks and doubts. Descartes dualism argument is that my body is divisible, my
mind is indivisible and therefore my mind is not identical within my body.
In Meditation VI they talk about how there is a strong chance that material objects exist
since they are the subject-matter
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Imagination is different from thought because I can
think of things without feeling as if they are present. It can also be seen as then in thought the
mind is what creates its own ideas where as in the imagination the mind turns toward the body
for support to create something to present in your mind.
The argument for the distinction of mind and body are based on the argument from
knowledge and the argument from extension. The argument from knowledge states that “If I
clearly and distinctly understand one thing as distinct from another then it is so. I am certain that
I exist as a thinking thing, while I am not certain of the existence of my body. Therefore I am
thinking thing and nothing else. My mind is distinct from the body. This basically means that if
you believe in your mind that something is true and you understand it as being different then
another thing than that is strictly based on knowledge and your mind and does not use your body.
The argument from extension is as follows: I am a thing that thinks and not an extended thing. I
have a distinct idea of body as an extended thing. Therefore my mind is distinct from my