Philosophy 2400F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Pythagorean Theorem, Hypotenuse, Billiard Ball
3 Feb 2021
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The conceivability argument: (amy kind"s recronstruction of the argument: whatever is clearly and distinctly conceivable is possible, i can clearly and distinctly conceive the mind existing without the body. 3) it is possible for the mind to exist without the body. [from 1,2: if it is possible for a to exist without b, then a and b are distinct entities. Thus: the mind and the body are distinct entities, i. e. , dualism is true. 2): suppose oliver, untutored in mathematics, conceives of/imagines a triangle for which the pythagorean theorem doesn"t hold , does it follow that the theorem is false, lesson: conceivability doesn"t entail possibility (contra to a duding assumption of. Thus, (4) the mind is a different thing from the body [and brain]. Note premise 1 is only making a wimpy possibility claim he"s not saying that whatever is clearly and distinctively conceivable is probable, much less actual. Bare possibility, he thinks, will give him everything he needs.
