which of the following philosophers believed that the mind and body are mentally independent in its function even if they exist physically together as a whole?
The philosopher described is René Descartes.
Why Descartes fits the description
Descartes is famous for mind–body dualism , the view that:
- The mind is a non-physical, thinking substance.
- The body is a physical, extended substance.
- Each can exist independently of the other, even though in a living human they are united as one whole.
In other words, for Descartes the mind and body are really distinct : the mind can be clearly conceived without the body and the body without the mind, so they are separate kinds of things that nevertheless interact and form a single human being.
A quick way to remember this: whenever you see a question about the mind and body being two different substances that can exist apart but currently function together, it is almost always pointing to Descartes and Cartesian dualism.
TL;DR: The answer to “which philosopher believed the mind and body are mentally independent in function even if they exist together as a whole?” is René Descartes.
