Lesson plan
Cartesian Self
The Cartesian Self or Cartesian subject is a philosophical concept developed by French philosopher René Descartes within his system of mind–body dualism, is the term provided for a separation between mind and body as posited by Descartes. In the simple view the self can be viewed as just the mind which is separate from the body as well as from the outside world. The simple self, the mind, also stands to be capable of thinking about itself and its existence. The self when seen as a compound is when it can be interpreted as being a whole human being - body and mind - with the body being an extension of the mind. It is distinct from the Cartesian other, anything other than the Cartesian self, yet the human-being version, union of body and mind, of the self is capable of interaction with the Cartesian Other through extension. According to Descartes, there is a divide intrinsic to consciousness such that one Individual's self is the only thing one can know to certainly exist - since one is not capable of knowing whether other minds exist or are able to think. The phrase "Cartesian Self" is a term coined retrospectively in response to Descartes' actual analysis of Mind-Body dualism and is never actually used by him in his own writings.
Article summary
The Cartesian Self or Cartesian subject is a philosophical concept developed by French philosopher René Descartes within his system of mind–body dualism, is the term provided for a separation between mind and body as posited by Descartes. In the simple view the self can be viewed as just the mind which is separate from the body as well as from the outside world. The simple self, the mind, also stands to be capable of thinking about itself and its existence. The self when seen as a compound is when it can be interpreted as being a whole human being - body and mind - with the body being an extension of the mind. It is distinct from the Cartesian other, anything other than the Cartesian self, yet the human-being version, union of body and mind, of the self is capable of interaction with the Cartesian Other through extension. According to Descartes, there is a divide intrinsic to consciousness such that one Individual's self is the only thing one can know to certainly exist - since one is not capable of knowing whether other minds exist or are able to think. The phrase "Cartesian Self" is a term coined retrospectively in response to Descartes' actual analysis of Mind-Body dualism and is never actually used by him in his own writings.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.