Final answer:
Amo's argument against Descartes' view challenges the idea that the mind can sense without the body, with later philosophers like Merleau-Ponty and modern science supporting the inseparability of mind and brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
Amo’s argument against Descartes’ view that the mind feels (senses) is based on the distinction between the mind and the body. Descartes’ dualism suggests that the mind is a non-physical substance separate from the physical body, which includes the brain. He believed that mental activities do not require a physical form, as articulated in his famous statement, “I think, therefore I am.”
However, this has been criticized by later thinkers like Merleau-Ponty, who argued that perception and consciousness cannot be separated from the body, thus refuting the possibility of a mind existing without a body. Current scientific evidence also supports the notion that thought is intrinsically linked to the physical structure and functioning of the brain, contrary to Descartes’ claims of a separate, immaterial mind. Therefore, from both philosophical and scientific standpoints, the idea that the mind can sense without a body is deemed implausible.