What is the main difference between dualism's parallelism and interactionism?

The main difference between dualism's parallelism and interactionism lies in the nature of the relationship they describe between the mind and body. Interactionism posits that there is an active interchange between the mind and body, meaning that mental states can influence physical states and vice versa. This suggests a dynamic interaction where thoughts and feelings can lead to physical actions, and physical experiences can influence mental states.

In contrast, parallelism treats the mind and body as two separate entities that run in parallel without directly influencing one another. Instead of cause-and-effect relationships between mental and physical events, parallelism maintains that both the mental and physical realms correspond with each other in a harmonious way but do not interact.

Therefore, the correct answer highlights the unique characteristic of interactionism, which emphasizes the active communication and influence between the mind and body, distinguishing it from parallelism, where such interactivity is absent.