There is no ghost in the machine from "summary" of The Concept of Mind by Gilbert Ryle
To hold the belief that mental processes are distinct from physical processes, as both Descartes and his followers have done, is to endorse a fundamental error in understanding the nature of the mind. This erroneous belief suggests that the mind is a "ghost in the machine," a separate entity that controls the body from within. Such a dualistic perspective creates a false dichotomy between the mind and the body, leading to a number of philosophical and practical problems. By positing the existence of a separate mental realm that is distinct from the physical world, one falls into the trap of what I have termed the "category mistake." This mistake arises from treating mental and physical phenomena as belonging to separate ontological categories, when in fact they are intertwined and inseparable. Mental processes, such as thoughts, feelings, and desires, are not entities that exist independently of physical processes; rather, they are the result of complex interactions within the brain and body. To understand the nature of mental processes, one must look beyond the superficial appearance of a separate "ghost" controlling the "machine" of the body. Mental phenomena are not mysterious forces that operate independently of physical laws; they are emergent properties of the physical processes that take pl...
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