Publisher's Synopsis
Cartesian dualism and existentialism are two of the most influential schools of thought to develop in modern Western philosophy. Dualism is an explanation of the mind, while existentialism seeks to describe a normative way of life. What happens, though, when you combine the two concepts into a new philosophy, specifically, a philosophy of mind? You get the conception of "dualistic existentialism." What is dualistic existentialism? In Defense of the Mind seeks to expound the philosophical notion of dualistic existentialism. Indeed, it would seem that in our day and age, the mind and its power is under attack, whether because we believe the mind is simply the result of neurons firing and telling us what to do, or because we think too much of our behavior is unconscious and thus, unknowable and out of our control, or a host of other prevailing deterministic and materialist theories. Dualistic existentialism seeks to remedy that problem with a brand new philosophy of mind.Drawing on the dualistic notion of the mind as propounded by Descartes, namely the idea that the mind is a separate entity from the body (and can, consequently, be treated as its own entity), and drawing on the notion of absolute freedom in relation to behavior and the existence of all beings, dualistic existentialism seeks to posit that the mind is completely free, psychologically speaking. While we may not be able to control the more physicalist limitations of the mind, we can control the actual consciousness and process of the mind, such as our thoughts, desires, feelings, etc. Dualistic existentialism is a notion that seeks to encourage complete responsibility for one's mind, by treating the mind as its own entity, and therefore deserving of introspection, as well as the active development of "metacognition," which is the ability to think seriously about one's own mental processes.Indeed, this philosophical treatise is a "defense of the mind." It seeks to defend the teleology of mental illness and in general, discuss the myths behind mental illness and at the very least, the misunderstandings and controversies surrounding the issue; it seeks to think seriously about a concept called "infinite potentiality," which, briefly speaking, is the notion that a mind can conceive of anything that it wants to and is therefore free, leaving the mind with a broad range of choices to choose from and make reality; it seeks to challenge any kind of deterministic arguments as relates to the mind, as well as think seriously about tools of the mind, such as subjectivity, rationality, and intuition; among other concerns.If you're interested in Descartes or Sartre, as well as the well-developed field of philosophy of mind and the burgeoning field of the philosophy of mental illness, this book will prime you to a new argument, that of dualistic existentialism, with the hope that you will walk away understanding the importance of treating dualistic existentialism not just as a concept to be thought about, but a way of life to be employed psychologically, and one that may very well improve your mental life.
