Why Materialism Makes More Sense
The purview of existence in the world has had several illustrations on the constitution of life as well as the state. Even then, the notions of soul and body tend to attract massive concerns from different fragments, drawing battle lines on which aspect is more prominent. Materialism draws from the mind-body dualism theory established by Rene Descartes. Descartes argues that materialism is a notion where everything in the world is physical while dualism establishes that two fundamental things guide the existence of humans, that is, the mind or soul and the body (Lavazza & Robinson, 2014). The materialistic approach considers consciousness as a creation of the body to the human’s brain, thus, its relationship with the physical body to which one exists (Bunge, 2012). Materialism further establishes that the human brain has the capability of driving the behavior of an individual. On the other hand, dualism establishes that there is the body, which exists physically; there is a soul, which is separate from the body. Therefore, based on the frameworks of the two sects of philosophy, materialism seems more plausible compared to dualism because of the latter’s disunities.
First, the fact that materialism considers that everything that is in existence is guided by the laws of nature owing to their physical form and status (Bunge, 2012) makes it more pragmatic to human life. Some philosophers believe what the mind conceives can be a reality. However, dualism rejects such assertion by stating that what is existent in the mind or soul is not under the control of the laws of nature and proceeds to support the position through a set of explanations (Lavazza & Robinson, 2014). For example, under dualism, the existence of free will is explained as having the autonomy that draws from the unseen and intangible human mind. Furthermore, arguments such as beliefs on life and death premises on the dualism debate. The understanding that consciousness cannot be explained based on physical terms is another justification for the dualism debate.
Moreover, materialism is a simpler theory to understand compared to the complexities that tend to surround dualism thoughts. It is a straightforward theory that establishes the notion of everything existing within the physical state. The explanation relies on logic and would be effectively proven by the personal experiences that one would often encounter. For example, the decisions that we make are based on our senses and previous experiences, some of which we encounter in the physical world. The brain, which materialism terms to be the mind and the soul is the source of all the thought processes and the decisions that humanity would often make. The conscious thoughts and emotions of an individual are also based on the brain with the brain having been proven by science as having neurotransmitters and chemicals that aid in the transmission and storage of information.
Why Dualism Does Not Make Sense
The main problem with this philosophy lies in the mind-body argument. Essentially, humankind has both physical and mental properties. Thus, it is hard to separate what constitutes the physical state and mental state. Scientific theories such as the big bang articulate that the existence of everything within the physical world is drawn from matter, thus, disputing the position taken by a dualist of a non-physical soul which contributes to the existence of the physical substances found within the earth. Materialism further contends that if the soul is existent, then it has an intricate relationship with the brain to the extent that it cannot be separated from the brain (Stoljar, 2020). Therefore, being that the brain exists in the physical; the closer attachment of the soul to the brain would mean that soul is also physical. Finally, materials are based on facts that could be proven by science, such as the relationship between the brain functions and the brain rather than dualism that establishes the relationship between the unknown such as life after death. The key challenge in dualism is the establishment of the interactions that are existent between the mind and the body.
References
Lavazza, A., & Robinson, H. (Eds.). (2014). Contemporary dualism: A defense. Routledge.
Stoljar, D. (2020). Panpsychism and non-standard materialism: Some comparative remarks.