The Philosophy of Reason between Material and Spiritual Perspectives: A Studying of Data

Hazem Abdul-Jabbar Hassan

Abstract

The question of reason and its states is one of the important matters discussed by thinkers both negatively and positively. The problem revolves around the nature of reason and its states. Are they material things that related to the brain or mind, or reason is an entity beyond matter and its variables? Here, we shed light on the three most important theories that answer these and other questions, where we analyze and criticize them, starting with the theory of dualism associated with René Descartes. It is one of the mental theories that sees humans as having another dimension besides the physical body. Then, we move on to the most important materialistic theories; behaviorism and exclusionism, which reduce the reality of man and limit it to the body. Analytical behaviorism interprets reason and its states as patterns of personal behavior, saying that what is referred to as reason is not something with an entity independent from the body, but rather a collection of predispositions to behavior when certain circumstances are provided. And as for exclusionism, it interprets the question by attributing reason and its states to neural activity.These theories are not free from confusions and ambiguities here and there, especially as to the materialistic perspective, which contradicts the axioms of reason and some experimental scientific studies as well.

Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)