Mind: A Brief Introduction (John R. Searle) / quote 13 of 138
Experts and the public disagree about dualism
The philosophy of mind has a special feature that distinguishes it from other branches of philosophy. In most philosophical subjects there is no sharp division between what the professionals believe and the opinions of the educated general public. But on the issues discussed in this book, there is an enormous difference between what most people believe and what the professional experts believe. I suppose most people in the Western world today accept some form of dualism. They believe they have both a mind, or a soul, and a body. I have even heard some people tell me they have three parts—a body, a mind, and a soul. But this is definitely not the view of the professionals in philosophy…