What is the difference between Cartesian dualism and the Vedantic dualism you are discussing?
Descartes said, “I am that, that thinks, the soul, or the reason, or the understanding.” He used all of these terms equivalantly. Thinking, reasoning, and soul were all the same for him. This is the problem with Cartesian dualism—that it lumped into one concept called mind all hierarchic cognitive traits. That is why Cartesian dualism has no relevance for science, whereas the Vedantic pluralism—in terms of consciousness, mind, and body—seems to give ideas about the presence of various levels of hierarchy in matter. If you see a car moving on the street and you want to know why it’s turning left or right, one might say, “All you need to do is study the mechanics of the car. The car is a complete system; there is nothing inside.” But I come and say no, there is a driver in there. Now that is correct, but it’s not sufficient. Still you have to accept that there are several levels of mechanisms within the car, and there is a specific point at which the driver is coming in contact with the
