mind-body problem

American

[mahynd-bod-ee] / ˈmaɪndˈbɒd i /

noun

Philosophy.

the problem of explaining the relation of the mind to the body.

mind-body problem British

noun

the traditional philosophical problem concerning the nature of mind, body, and the relationship between them See dualism interactionism parallelism monism idealism materialism identity theory behaviourism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mind-body problem

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The question of “How do the two nonidentical and dissimilar entities experience a causal relationship?” is known as the mind-body problem.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Mechanized warfare is the mind-body problem writ large.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2022

By skirting the philosophical mind-body problem, Scull avoids psychiatry’s crucial dilemma.

From Washington Post • Jun. 3, 2022

Rostand’s play is built on an emotional rendering of the mind-body problem.

From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2022

If the mind-body problem were solved in a concrete, empirical way, what then?

From The Next Step in Religion An Essay toward the Coming Renaissance by Sellars, Roy Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023