The Indiscernibility of Identicals

The Indiscernibility of Identicals Name Institution Descartes observes on the metaphysical dualism that the body and the mind cannot be the same thing and they should be taken as two types of identities. The mind is taken to be not physical and thus not extended, it does not occupy space and cannot be divided as a physical matter. The body, on the other hand, is physical and hence extends, it does occupy space and can be divisible. The mind has property, which the body does not have, for example, it can think, imagine, make sense of the surrounding and can have the will. The existing laws of nature determine the body while the mind is the seat of free will. The above argument is well analyzed with the help of the rationalist Wilhelm Leibniz who coined the identity of indiscernibles or the Leibniz's law of identity. The identity of indiscernibles observes that two things are identical if only they share simultaneously the same properties. Logically it is formulated as if every property F, if object x has F if and only if object y has F, then X is identical to y (Downey, 2003). As observed by Descartes the mind owns property that the body does not contain. Descartes also see the mind as indivisible. He assumes that between the mind and the body in that body, there is a big difference, which by nature can always be divisible. He justifies that the mind is utterly indivisible as the sensing, willing and understanding do not form part of the mind as it the same mind that sense, understand and wills. To support his justification Descartes ask several questions: whether the mind has belief, anger, imagination, or vision towards something. He also asks if they are parts of the brain is it possible to divide the mind or its activities. All these questions he answers no, hence making the mind not reducible to the physical brain. Thus, there are three premises, 1. The mind is indivisible by its very nature, 2. Body is indivisible by its very nature, and 3 two things are held identical if, and only if; they share simultaneously the same properties. This means the mind and the bo...