Final answer:
Descartes proves the real distinction between mind and body using substance dualism. He posits that the thinking 'mind' does not require a physical 'body' to exist, signified by 'Cogito, ergo sum.' His influential views are challenged by modern science's understanding of the brain and by later philosophers such as Merleau-Ponty.
Step-by-step explanation:
How Descartes Proves the Real Distinction Between Mind and Body
The philosopher René Descartes argues for substance dualism, which is the belief that the mind and body are two fundamentally different types of substances. In his seminal work, Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes arrives at what he considers an indubitable truth: Cogito, ergo sum, translation I think, therefore I am. Here he identifies the essence of the self with the act of thinking, establishing that the mind or the 'thinking thing' does not require a physical body to exist.
Descartes' proof for the real distinction between mind and body leans on the concept that if one can doubt the existence of physical substances but cannot doubt the existence of oneself as a thinking thing, then they must be different. The mind is a non-physical, thinking substance (res cogitans), whereas the body is a physical, non-thinking substance (res extensa). That the mind exists separately from the body, even if modern science challenges this view by emphasizing the brain's role in thought processes.
Despite modern critiques, Descartes' arguments have been highly influential, forming a central part of the discussion on mind-body dualism. His work also contributes to questions about the eternity of the self and consciousness, and whether the soul or mind can be considered distinct from the physical existence of the body. This dualistic view, however, has been rejected by philosophers like Merleau-Ponty, who argue that perception and consciousness cannot be separated from the body.