Question

What did René Descartes argue?:

A) Humans cannot understand the nature of the real world

B) Animals are mechanical devices whose behavior is controlled by environmental stimuli

C) The brain acts to cool the passions of the heart

D) Only humans are capable of reflexive behaviors

E) The mind is an emerging property of organization of the brain

Answer 1

Option B is the correct answer

Reason.

René Descartes always emphasized that both animal and human bodies are machines made by

God. The body of animals and human is such designed that its movement and working can be

related to a machine. For example, the heart of an animal and human are anatomically similar.

He said that working of heart is similar to the working of a pump. Heart works on mechanical

concepts of dilating and contracting. Similarly movement of limbs is associated with the physical

concept of friction and efforts. All these explanations are well enough to understand that René

Descartes considers both animal and human as "God Forms" i.e. machine.