Comparison of cartesian dualism and functionalism

Since its existence, the human species has constantly tried to discover itself in its intellectual world and has come to the conclusion that the source of this pursuit is the mind and everything related to the mind. In the world of thought, the mind is one of the most important issues worth researching. However, the fact that the field of philosophy of mind has a special position within philosophy was realized with Descartes' understanding of Cartesian dualism. Cartesian understanding of dualism claims that mind and body are two separate substances that cannot be reduced to each other and are independent from each other. Descartes' distinction between mind and body initiated the research and questioning of how and in what kind of interaction these two separate substances, which cannot be reduced to each other, in the world of philosophy. Problems regarding the mind still exist today after Descartes. The aim of this thesis is to compare Cartesian dualism and functionalism, to investigate the effects of existing problems on the mind on the content of the mind and to reveal findings. In the study, by examining all the main works of Descartes and works on functionalism against mental problems after Descartes, an analysis was tried to be formed through the approaches of philosophers such as Hilary Putnam, Gilbert Ryle, John Searle, Jerry Fodor, Paul Churchland to the mind. With this analysis to be created, it is hoped that new information about our mental world will be obtained. With the dualism put forward by Descartes, the field of philosophy of mind has gained a special position. There has been too much opposition and criticism against Cartesian dualism. Although the findings we obtained as a result of the comparison of Cartesian dualism and functionalism do not provide us with an argument about the content of the mind, they will guide scientific and philosophical studies in the field of the mind and contribute to the existing literature.