Which perspective argues that mind and body are two separate entities?

The perspective that argues that the mind and body are two separate entities is known as dualism. This philosophical view suggests that the mind, which encompasses thoughts, feelings, and consciousness, is distinct from the physical body and its processes. Dualism posits that mental phenomena are non-physical and cannot be fully explained by physical processes alone. This idea is fundamentally tied to the work of philosophers such as René Descartes, who famously articulated the distinction between the immaterial mind and the material body.

In contrast, monism refers to the concept that mind and body are unified as one entity, denying any fundamental separation between them. Materialism posits that only the physical world exists, and thus mental states are reducible to physical states in the brain. Idealism, on the other hand, considers the mind or consciousness as the primary reality, suggesting that the material world is a construct of the mind. These differing views highlight the complex debate surrounding the relationship between mental and physical states in the history of psychology and philosophy.