Interactionism

Interactionism is a philosophical view within dualism that suggests the mind and body are distinct but can interact with each other. This means that mental states, like thoughts and feelings, can influence physical actions (like deciding to move your arm). Conversely, physical states can affect mental states (like feeling pain leading to sadness). This perspective addresses the challenge of how two different substances—mental and physical—affect one another, maintaining that our thoughts can cause changes in our physical world and vice versa, thus exploring the nature of mental causation in a nuanced way.