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Rene Descartes Theory Of Consciousness

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Introduction:
The theory of the separation of the mind and body trace back to the ancient Greeks, Plato as most prominent. It was not until the 17th century, when first described in detail the mind-body relationship. René Descartes in his book The Homine ("Man") in 1633, he describes consciousness, suggests that the human is of two substances. The thinking substance (res Cogitans, consciousness) are spatially unextended and private. The extended substance (res extensa, body) being extended in space. The two are completely different thus justifies Descartes afterlife, since the two are different is there no reason to believe that the soul dies when the body dies. This is the foundation of dualism, thus creating the modern psychophysical problem …show more content…

The modern term of consciousness generally is used to refer an individual’s awareness of his or her own thoughts, including sensations, feelings and memories. However, if you focus your thoughts on your consciousness, you soon become aware that your conscious experience are constantly changing. While reading this essay, for example, you may be reminded of experiences or present discomforts that interrupts your concentration; plans for the future will spontaneously pop to mind. Thinking about your conscious experiences makes you realize just how much you thoughts are changing, and yet they seem to come together. Therefore, consciousness affect human nature and vice versa. This makes the concept of consciousness important to elucidate if to have an understanding of human nature. To get a theoretical understanding of this subject, this essay will illuminate James Williams and Sigmund Freud's theories on drives, instincts and consciousness and its influence on human nature. In addition, the essay will briefly reference to other theorist regarding it relevant to this …show more content…

To illustrate this theory, James used the example of seeing a bear, then running away. It is not the case that you see the bear and feel afraid and then run away. What is really happening is that you see the bear and run away, and the conscious feeling fear is caused by the action of running. In this sense, the theory is likened to the “fight-or-flight” reaction, in which the bodily sensations prepare a person to react based on the brain’s interpretation of the event and the physiological events. This contradicts what people might think, but James’s view was that the mind’s perception of the physical effects of running by rapid breathing, increased heartbeat and perspiring heavily is translated into the emotion of fear. Another example, according to James’s theory, would be that you feel happy because you are conscious that you are smiling. It is not that you feel happy first, and then smile (About

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