Abstract
This paper is devoted to defending philosophical studies of mind, especially traditional ones.
In my view, human mentality is a dialogue with myself, which has a social aspect that is never
explained nor predicted by scientific studies. We firstly derive this picture from Descartes’
classical argmuments (§§2-3), and then develop it in the context of Kantian ethics (§4). Some
readers think this combination arbitrary. However, these two philosophers agree on mind/body
dualism (§5), and further, the fact that the dialogue is often made in an ethical situation leads
us to Kantian ethics. We shall draw this developed picture within the format of modern
practical syllogisms (§§5-13). Finally, we shall refer to Nick Zangwill’s normative
essentialism for the completion of our whole picture (§§7-8).