This week's topic is the beginning of metaphysics. Metaphysics is the study of the ultimate nature of reality. Within this subject is the argument of mind versus matter. In this report I will expand on my thoughts of idealism and the brain and body versus the mind.
             Idealism is "the theory that the body itself is nothing but a collection of actual or possible sense-data- sights, sounds, touches, and smells". I suppose taste would just be a type of touching since it isn't included in the list of senses mentioned in the quote. Incorporated with the theory of idealism, is the idea of dualism. Dualism, according to Descartes, is the thought that mind and body are completely independent of each other and are capable of surviving without the other. My thought is including another type of "sense" into the concept of idealism: thought itself. If thought could be considered as somewhat of a "sense", then the mind could fit in the definition of a body according to idealism. Then mind and body would become one because thought, I believe, is what truly makes up the mind.
             To expand on this idea the fact of the brain versus the mind comes up. The brain is matter which sits inside a person's head. The mind is not considered to be matter because it cannot be seen, touched, smelled, or heard by another person. But the person "inside" the body can. This means the brain of the body is directly related to the mind.
             Without a brain, there would be no mind. Without a body, there could be no brain. This means that the body is also necessary for a mind to exist. (The brain could be removed and artificially survive, but no one can create a brain without a body). This means, in my opinion, that dualism is, for lack of a better term, wrong. The body and mind are dependent on each other by the arguments I have brought up.
             Although these ideas are contrary to the beliefs of Desc...