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The Nature of Persons — Mind-Body Dualism vs. Physicalism

Clark Professor of Philosophy

41:38·2008·undergraduate level
Path step 1: Frames dualist and physicalist accounts of mind and personal identity.

Precise conceptual dissection of Cartesian substance dualism vs. functionalist physicalism—separating what a person is made of from whether consciousness reduces to brain states.

Professor Kagan discusses the two main positions with regard to the question, "What is a person?" On the one hand, there is the dualist view, according to which a person is a body and a soul. On the other hand, the physicalist view argues that a person is just a body. The body, however, has a certain set of abilities and is capable of a large range of activities.

This course was recorded in Spring 2007.

Source: YaleCourses via YouTubeWatch on YouTube

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