Final answer:
The debate on man's immaterial/material parts centers on dualism, which holds that humans have both a material body and an immaterial soul, and materialism, which contends that only the material body exists and the mind is an emergent property of the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Man's Immaterial/Material Parts
The philosophical debate about the nature of human existence can be framed by two opposing viewpoints: dualism and materialism. Dualism posits that humans consist of two distinct parts: the material (the body) and the immaterial (the soul or mind). Philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, and Leibniz have supported this view, which suggests that the immaterial soul interacts with the material body, yet its existence and location pose complex questions about the interaction between these two substances.
Materialism, on the other hand, denies the existence of any non-physical substances. Instead, it asserts a monistic view where the only substance that exists is material in nature. This philosophical position carries significant implications for our understanding of consciousness, spirituality, and the possibility of a deity, as it suggests that all phenomena, including mental activities, are the result of physical processes.
Monism-Materialism strikes a contrast to dualism by eliminating the concept of non-physical minds. Proponents argue that mental activities and what we perceive as the mind are fully accounted for by the functions of the brain. This physicalist view redefines the mind-body problem and is gaining traction in contemporary philosophical and scientific discussions.