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One reason that I cannot make up my mind as to whether I agree with Dickinson or Descartes is because I am not sure if I am understanding each of their perspectives correctly. From how I understood it (and please correct me if I'm wrong), Dickinson is saying that the brain is the mind, and the mind constructs all aspects of reality that it encounters. And Descartes is saying that the mind and brain are separate and independent of each other. I take it that "mind" refers to consciousness, thought, emotions.

If this is correct, I disagree with Descartes's perspective that the mind and brain are separate. The mind, or thoughts and consciousness, cannot exist without the brain being active. Thus, the brain must be vital in giving rise to the mind. However, I cannot say that completely agree with Dickinson because I am having trouble accepting the perspective that we construct our reality. The brain gives rise to the mind, which can perceive and interpret the world, but does that necessarily mean that the mind creates everything we perceive? I feel like the mind is just a lens through which we experience a real world. If not, how is it that each of our minds are constructing reality, but we are able to agree on what this reality is (like things we come into physical contact with)? In that sense, I guess I agree with Descartes that the mind is not something we construct.

Okay...I don't really know where I'm going with this anymore...I guess I am somewhere in the middle between Descartes and Dickinson until I gain more understanding. I agree with Dickinson that the brain and the mind are one, but I agree with Descartes there are certain perceptions of our mind that the brain does not construct (such as the physical world). This is a really mind-boggling topic and that is the most sense I can make out of it right now...