Final answer:
Substance dualism and monism are philosophical perspectives that address the mind-body problem. Substance dualism asserts the existence of two separate realities: the mind and the body. Monism, in contrast, argues that there is only one fundamental reality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Substance dualism is a philosophical belief that asserts the existence of two fundamental realities: the mind and the body. According to substance dualism, the mind is distinct from the body, and they have separate identities. René Descartes, a French philosopher, proposed a version of substance dualism where the mind is a thinking thing and the body is an extended nonthinking thing. Monism, on the other hand, holds that there is only one fundamental reality, either the mind or the body. In the context of consciousness and the mind-body problem, substance dualism and monism are contrasting perspectives that seek to explain the relationship between the mind and the body.
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