What Is the Nature of the Mind-Body Problem?

The mind-body problem is the philosophical problem of determining the relationship between the mind and the body, the mind and the external world, or consciousness and the brain. A major part of the problem is determining which of these entities determine the others, and how they are connected. Some philosophical positions resolve this conflict by determining that one of these entities determines the others, while others resolve it by positing that both entities are part of a more fundamental whole.<br><br>For example, the positions of dualism and monism resolve the problem in the first way. Dualism posits that the mind and the body determine each other, and vice versa, while monism posits that one determines the other. For an example of the latter, the ancient Greeks believed that the mind was located in the heart. On the other hand, modern science is inclined to believe that consciousness arises from the brain. The positions of panpsychism and eliminativism resolve the problem in the second way. Panpsychism posits that both are part of a more fundamental whole, namely consciousness, while eliminativism posits that consciousness does not exist.