笛卡尔的因果原则与物体和心灵之间的互动

Cartesian Causal Principles and Interaction between Mindand Body

笛卡尔持有实体二元论,并且认为心灵与物体能够因果地相互作用。一些学者认为,在其实体学说的框架内,笛卡尔的因果原则排除了在本性上完全不同的实体间因果互动的可能性,从而也就排除了物体与心灵因果互动的可能性。另外一些学者出于为笛卡尔辩护的目的,坚持认为,在笛卡尔那里,因果原则与物体与心灵间的因果互动是完全融贯的。焦点在于:笛卡尔的因果原则是否排除了物体与心灵的因果互动?本文的回答则不同于上述任何一方。笛卡尔的实在性因果原则与物体与心灵的因果互动并不矛盾,而笛卡尔的完满性因果原则却与之相矛盾,这一矛盾并不完全排除物体与心灵的因果互动的可能性,它只排除了物体对心灵的因果作用的可能性,却仍然允许了心灵对物体的因果作用的可能性。

Descartes emphasized both the real distinction between mind and body and their causal interaction.Some scholars maintain that the Cartevsian causal principles exclude the posvsibility of two substances with different natures being able to interact with each other and thus of the causal interaction between mind and body.In order to defend Descartes,others insist that Cartesian causal interaction between mind and body is completely coherent with his doctrine of the mind-body distinction within his own metaphysics.The main bone of contention is whether the Cartesian causal principles exclude the possibility of the causal interaction between mind and body.In this paper,I will first analyze the causal principles which Descartessuggests in the Meditations,and then I will provide my reading on this ivssue which is different with each of the views I mentioned before.According to my reading,Cartesian causal principles include two sub-rules,viz.the causal principle of reality and that of perfection.The former is consistent with the causal interaction between mind and body while the latter is inconsistent.