What is Dualism - courtesy of A_Smoking_fox Options

What is dualism.

When we have established what we think dualism is, A_Smoking_Fox would like to branch off into and discuss different parts which will probably go into a new thread.

Which part of dualism are we interested to explore in this topic.

So any offers?

I’ll answer the question about why the specific phrases "irreducible origins" and "categories of the element" were included and wait a little bit to answer about the definition, because I think we were writing all simultaneously the last post that each one of us has posted.

The reason we included the description "irreducible origins" (at least from my point of view), is because of dualism insisting on different sources of the two elements. This, for example, left dualistic philosopher for centuries arguing how (and if) are mind and matter interacting and explaining it by Interactionism, or Epiphenomenalism, or Parallelism theories. The whole point of dualism is that the two terms x and y are deriving from two different origins.

The reason we included the description "categories of the element", is because of the property dualism that deals with mind and matter as with two organized collections of properties (bundle theory). Even if personally I have serious doubts about such approach, it is an existing approach of this subject and could be used during the discussion of the topic. Do you think we must remove it?

I liked the “experience” term that Praxis used, but I think it needs an object (like, the experience of what?), but not the “state” term for reasons described above, as well as in previous posts.

I also agreed on including the descriptions of different forms of dualism in my previous post, but made a modification of them, so I would like to know your opinion on the modification, before trying to define the categories.

This post has been edited by alia: Mar 5 2006, 03:58 PM

Alia, I have been considering this for a couple of days now.
At this point, I am just going to remain focussed on observations regarding the definition.

Dualism is the theory that considers any possible thought or thing, to consist of only two different and irreducible origins or categories of the element.

Now:

The reason we included the description "irreducible origins" (at least from my point of view), is because of dualism insisting on different sources of the two elements. This, for example, left dualistic philosopher for centuries arguing how (and if) are mind and matter interacting and explaining it by Interactionism, or Epiphenomenalism, or Parallelism theories. The whole point of dualism is that the two terms x and y are deriving from two different origins.

Although I comprehend that dualism requires two elements which exist in relation to each other, I do not comprehend why two elements engaged in a dualistic relationship must come from two different sources – because one source can originate two different elements which engage according to a dualistic relation together.

This does not mean that two elements from two different sources cannot engage each other according to a dualistic relation together.

This just means that requiring irreducible origins as part of the definition would exclude relations involving two elements from a single source from being covered by dualistic dynamics.

Based upon that, I question putting in the irreducible origin requirement for two elements engaged in dualistic relation.

**********

The reason we included the description "categories of the element", is because of the property dualism that deals with mind and matter as with two organized collections of properties (bundle theory). Even if personally I have serious doubts about such approach, it is an existing approach of this subject and could be used during the discussion of the topic. Do you think we must remove it?

(arghs) I must admit that I am still unclear about what exactly the phrase “categories of the element” means.

To this point, I have been using the term “element” specifically to reference the two variables in dualistic relation with each other. I am not sure if “categories of the element” refers to categories that are aspects of those variables, or if the phrase means something else.

Can you either explain, or reiterate, that phrase in any way that explains what the element there mentioned is?


Thanks.