The problem of consciousness: Recent Cartesianism
Омский научный вестник: Серия "Общество. История. Современность" December 23, 2025 R. L. Kochnev
Substance dualism, as formulated by Descartes, remains a foundational but contested approach to the mind-body problem. The article reviews the historical development of Descartes' dualistic metaphysics, including his conceivability argument, and examines persistent challenges such as the causal interaction between mind and body, known as the scandal of interactionism. Alternative interpretations within Cartesianism—interactionism, occasionalism, and concurrentism—are considered. The critique of substance dualism is explored through contemporary debates including the problem of other minds, epistemic asymmetry, mereological arguments, and the conceptual autonomy of the mental. Despite internal contradictions, substance dualism continues to serve as the starting point for most recent dualist and physicalist theories of consciousness.