In this selection Ryle criticizes Cartesian dualism, which he labels "the Ghost in the Machine," as involving a category mistake. A category mistake is a confusion one slips into when something that belongs to one category or context is mistakenly taken to belong to another. Ryle argues that just because we speak of bodily functions and mental functions as different in no way entails that they are two entirely separate entities. Ryle believes that this functional language can be reduced to observation language.
-If Ryle is correct, the contrast between mind and matter will dissipate.

Question

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Ryle's critique of Cartesian dualism indeed centers on the concept of a category mistake, arguing that the traditional mind-body dualism wrongly treats mental and physical phenomena as if they belong to entirely separate categories. He suggests that recognizing this mistake and understanding mental processes in terms of their observable effects can dissolve the supposed contrast between mind and matter.

In This Selection Ryle Criticizes Cartesian Dualism, Which He Labels