Examples Of Dualism In Star Trek

In his writings, “A Contemporary Defense of Dualism,” J.P. Moreland argues the point that the mind and brain are separate from each other. It seems as a quick thought that both are the same. However, the mind deals with ideas, thoughts and hopes. The brain is made up of the neural process. Throughout the entire argument, Moreland tries to prove the theory of physicalism, which is the idea that only things that exist are composed of matter. His explanation is that the soul doesn’t exist and the brain controls everything.

Data is defined as useful raw material which is intended to be useful for both the originator and for the intended receiver. Data consists largely of facts and figures ideal for communicating the intended meaning. This data can be interpreted and can be categorised as follows;

In essence, Cartesian Dualism attempts to solve the mind-body problem – that is, what is the relationship between the mind and the body? The answer, according to this theory, is that the mind and the body are two distinctly different substances that constitute each person. Here, “mind” can be described as a nonphysical thing that thinks and “body” as a living physical thing that does not think. The mind can also exist independently of the body, and both can causally affect one another.

In “The Measure of a Man”, written by Melinda M. Snodgrass, a court hears arguments over the nature and eventual fate of the android Data. While the topic being debated in the story is whether or not Data has the right to chose, it is important to know if Data shares key characteristics with humans. It is also crucial to know whether or not Data is equal to a human in key respects. So, is Data the equal to a human in key respects? To answer this question, yes, Data is the equal of a human being in key respects.

Our Nig by Harriet E. Wilson narrates the life of Frado, a young woman who experiences racism and enslavement in the North despite the common, idealized notion that the North was a safe refuge for blacks in the United States. Frado is a mulatto woman with a white mother and a black father, a unique situation in the mid 1800s that provides a polarizing premise for the main character’s story. Frado is unable to identify fully with either the black or the white community, but the Bellmonts consider her to be black and call her “our nig” (Wilson 26). Therefore, the Bellmonts, as well as the lingering racist tendencies of the North, prevent Frado from exercising her freedoms as a “free black” living in a Northern state. As a result of Frado’s status as a mulatto, Our Nig presents a main character who occupies a

Dualism claims that the mind is a distinct nonphysical thing, a complete entity that is independent of any physical body to which it is temporarily attached.

Moreland compares the intentionality and subjectivity of physical things to the mind. Humans are able to think about desires and beliefs with the use of intentionality. We are not just a bundle of nerves that take in sensory information and give feedback because of the intentionality of the mind. Instead, human beings are able to process the sensory information, and give feedback through unique opinions. The combination of consciousness and experience are what makes every human unique in the world. When looking at a physical object like a computer, it doesn’t have the characteristics of subjectivity and intentionality. The computer does not have subjectivity because it cannot feel emotions. The computer also doesn’t have intentionality because it cannot express its beliefs. Humans can envision objects that do not really exist such as a

William Hasker uses multiple categories to list out the different views on the mind/body problem in his book Metaphysics: Constructing a World View. Captain Picard, Data’s commanding officer and the defending attorney for Data’s case, would be classified as a materialist. Picard views Data as having rights just like the rest of the humans who work for Starfleet. In trial Picard says, “We too are machines, just machines of a different type” (Scheerer, 1989). This statement from Picard alone shows his materialism thinking. Materialism thinking does not believe in souls thus since Data is manmade he would not have a soul as well making him an equal to human beings. Picard believes since Data is intelligent, self-aware, and has a consciousness of his existence and actions then this makes Data a sentient.

Based on my reading of Hasker (1983), I believe the view of the mind or body problem that was exhibited by Piccard in the synopsis from Star Trek: The Next Generation was the Dualism view. Picard stated that, “Data has rights among them the right to refuse to undergo an experimental procedure such as this.” Here, Picard ascribes both physical and mental attributes to the robot (Data). This view correlates to Hasker (1983) statement that, “Dualism begins by taking quite seriously the fact that human beings have both physical properties and mental properties…” (p. 65). Hasker (1983) further indicates that even though the mind and body are different, they are not detached, but continuously interacting (Dualism Interactionism), which is

Dualism is defined as a belief that mental occurrences are more than just a physical act. Humans are composed of two kinds of substances which are immaterial and physical. The immaterial substance consists of the mind or soul and the physical substance consists of the body. Moreland attempts to make nonbelievers believe in the immaterial soul by mentioning that there are numerous non-physical entities that we believe in, such as numbers, goodness and moral laws. This ultimately leads to the defense of dualism and rejecting the physicalism worldview that is present with those that deny that the mind and body are separate entities.

Dualism is not the most widely held view in the current philosophical and scientific community, but it is the most common theory of mind in the public at large. Substance Dualism states that each mind is a distinct non-physical substance, a thing, an individual “package” of non-physical substance, a thing whose identity is independent of any physical body to which it may be temporarily “attached”. Property Dualism states that there is no substance to be dealt with here beyond the physical brain, the brain has a special set of properties possessed by no other kind of physical object.

The mind-body problem is an age-old topic in philosophy that questions the relationship between the mental aspect of life, such as the field of beliefs, pains, and emotions, and the physical side of life which deals with matter, atoms, and neurons. There are four concepts that each argue their respective sides. For example, Physicalism is the belief that humans only have a physical brain along with other physical structures, whereas Idealism argues that everything is mind-based. Furthermore, Materialism argues that the whole universe is purely physical. However, the strongest case that answers the commonly asked questions such as “Does the mind exist?” and “Is the mind your brain?” is Dualism.

Dualism is a broad term that can encompass many areas within philosophy itself. In aspect to metaphysics, it classifies the types of entities in the world into two subcategories, physical and non physical substance. While this may appear to be a very wide and ambiguous opinion, it becomes very specific in regards to our own existence. Paul Churchland puts it very explicitly in his book Matter and Consciousness, and defines dualism as the idea that, “the essential nature of conscious intelligence resides in something nonphysical” (Churchland 1). Though dualism is a highly regarded and popular view on the state of existence, its core arguments present an array of problems that detract from the credibility of its

Dualism and monism is a famous philosophy topic from ancient to now. The word "Dualism" means that our physical and our mental are independent. And our body and our mind cannot be the same. It is because of mind and body is two separate substances. In the contract, the "monism" means that both of the physical and mental are combined being one. And our mind and body are indivisible and are each influenced by the other. The monism and dualism individually has its strengths and weaknesses.

Cartesian dualism is based on the concept that the mind and the body are separate entities, and that the mind – the