Question

"An Unfortunate Dualist" from This Book Needs No Titleby Raymond M. Smullyan.

Once upon a time there was a dualist. He believed that mind and matter are separate substances. Just how they interacted he did not pretend to know-this was one of the "mysteries" of life. But he was sure they were quite separate substances.
This dualist, unfortunately, led an unbearably painful life-not because of his philosophical beliefs, but for quite different reasons. And he had excellent empirical evidence that no respite was in sight for the rest of his life. He longed for nothing more than to die. But he was deterred from suicide by such reasons as: (1) he did not want to hurt other people by his death; (2) he was afraid suicide might be morally wrong; (3) he was afraid there might be an afterlife, and he did not want to risk the possibility of eternal punishment. So our poor dualist was quite desperate.

Then came the discovery of the miracle drug! Its effect on the taker was to annihilate the soul or mind entirely but to leave the body functioning exactly as before. Absolutely no observable change came over the taker; the body continued to act just as if it still had a soul. Not the closest friend or observer could possibly know that the taker had taken the drug, unless the taker informed him.

Do you believe that such a drug is impossible in principle? Assuming you believe it possible, would you take it? Would you regard it as immoral? Is it tantamount to suicide? Is there anything in Scriptures forbidding the use of such a drug? Surely, the body of the taker can still fulfill all its responsibilities on earth. Another question: Suppose your spouse took such a drug, and you knew it. You would know that she (or he) no longer had a soul but acted just as if she did have one. Would you love your mate any less?
To return to the story, our dualist was, of course, delighted! Now he could annihilate himself (his soul, that is) in a way not subject to any of the foregoing objections. And so, for the first time in years, he went to bed with a light heart, saying: "Tomorrow morning I will go down to the drugstore and get the drug. My days of suffering are over at last!" With these thoughts, he fell peacefully asleep.

Now at this point a curious thing happened. A friend of the dualist who knew about this drug, and who knew of the sufferings of the dualist, decided to put him out of his misery. So in the middle of the night, while the dualist was fast asleep, the friend quietly stole into the house and injected the drug into his veins. The next morning the body of the dualist awoke-without any soul indeed-and the first thing it did was to go to the drugstore to get the drug. He took it home and, before taking it, said, "Now I shall be released." So he took it and then waited the time interval in which it was supposed to work. At the end of the interval he angrily exclaimed: "Damn it, this stuff hasn't helped at all! I still obviously have a soul and am suffering as much as ever!"

Doesn't all this suggest that perhaps there might be something just a little wrong with dualism?

Raymond M. Smullyan

1. What makes the character in Smullyan's story a dualist, i.e. someone who agrees with Descartes's theory?

2. Would, according to Descartes's dualism, be possible to destroy one's soul by taking a drug?

3. Do you personally believe that such a drug is possible in principle? Assuming you believe it possible, would you take it? Would you regard it as immoral?

4 Do you think it is possible for someone to function as before without having a soul? Would it would be possible, according to Descartes?

5 Is destroying one's soul tantamount to suicide? Is there anything in Scriptures forbidding the use of such a drug?

6 Would you love your partner less if you knew they took such a drug?

7. The intention of the author (Smullyan) was to demonstrate that something is wrong with dualism. Do you think he succeeded? Do you think there is anything wrong with dualism?

When you answer each question explain the reasons behind your view. Your answers should reflect understanding of the dualist theory and its problems.

please help

Answer 1

The idea of dualism was a solution to get out form physical pains and mental problems, dualist approached a way in which we can live without suffering and pain of real and concrete life. Dualist approach was never been easy to understand and not even observable so that philosophers made this idea more complicated to understand.

Now we know, the effect of drug into our body, in my opinion, there is no possibilities of such kind of drug which could perform an idealistic efforts.

1- The character of Smullyan, is a meaningless approach of dualist theory, I don’t think the stuffs inside Descartes mind was same as we analyse now because the time has changed and we cannot completely assume the situation which was experienced by Descartes.

2- I don’t think there is any way to destroy soul by a drug, even we cannot destroy soul by any means because soul is not a thing, it is phenomena.

3- If this drug exist in this world and I have an authority to use it, it would not be so helpful to make us immoral. This drug could be used to find the structure of soul.

4- According to Dualism, there is no function could be possible without soul because soul works as an engine for our body.

5- Eastern mythology says that the soul is immortal and it is a form of energy which leave body and caused death, this idea lead us to the life after death. There is no confirmed scripture other than some movies which confirm that soul can be destroyed.

6- I don’t think, it true because love is a feeling and emotion rather than knowledge or information, if I came to know that my partner is using such drug, it would not affect my love and care for her.

7- The theory of dualism do not describe the actual condition of mind-body combination, it talks about dual approach but not able to give the answer of some questions which raised in my mind, why we feel pain, the theory of dualism do not explain the critical views of soul and relation between physical body and mental abilities.

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