The Mind Body Problem Is Dualism A Defensible Theory Of Mind?

Is dualism a defensible theory of mind? Student’s NameInstitution’s AffiliationsCourse NameProfessor’s Name/ TutorDue DateIs dualism a defensible theory of mind?IntroductionThe mind-body problem remains one of the most critical questions in philosophy. The complex nature of this problem arises from the fundamental relationship that exists between consciousness and physical reality. At the core of this philosophical question lies a deceptively simple inquiry that seeks to ascertain how our subjective mental experiences relate to the (objective) physical world around us. One would then question what role duality or rather dualism has with the theory of mind. Dualism, particularly in its Cartesian formulation by Rene Descartes offered an influential approach in answering the mind theory. Descartes' view on dualism argued that reality consisted of two distinct substances; the mental (res cogitans) and the physical (res extensa) (Young, p.710. 2020).To offer clear insight into the mental and physical plane René Descartes' articulation in his work "Meditations on First Philosophy" (1641) presented what would be adopted as the classical thought of dualism rooted in the distinction between mind and matter. In simple