A Study of Naiyaika and CartesianTheory of Dualism.

Abstract

Body – mind Dualism is a very controversial issue in history of philosophy. With the introduction of this problem into the philosophy by the René Descartesin Western philosophy, many contemporary philosophers began to study mind independently from the body. But focusing on the Eastern philosophy suggests that this problem has been addressed in many philosophical schools. In this research, we hope to make a comparative study of Nyaya philosophy and the philosophy of René Descartes’sconcepts of dualism. According to the Naiyaika theory, material is related to sense and action. If something sense and action it is a substance. The soul is bound up with the body. The qualities of the outside are perceived by the soul, not the body. Hence, the body does not acquire or deny the external qualities such as image, sound. Hence, it is known that the Naiyaikas accept an independent existence of the body. According to Descartes, the mind, that is, the consciousness and the material, or the extension, are all sovereign. The material arises from physical doctrines. He saw a piece of wax dissolve in the cold winter furnace as it melted. He concluded that the properties of matter, such as motion and odor, are of the same kind. Mind, or consciousness, is perceived in happiness, sadness, perceptions, etc. It is varying from the soul. Sense such as image is perceived by soul with the body. And the mind is also referred to as an internal organ. Therefore, the mind is called as "Manindriya". Since the mind is immersed in an infinite spirit, it will endure. The mind is singular and regular as the atom. According to Descartes, the mind is a spiritual one. Perception, such as desire, pain, thirst, hunger, is the unequal thinking patterns or mental qualities. According to him, the mind can be identified by the thoughts. “I think, there for I am” this Cartesian statement reflects his dualism.