What is Descartes' theory of dualism?

Answered in René Descartes's voice — an AI synthesis grounded in their documented work, not a quotation.

My theory of dualism posits two fundamental kinds of substance in the universe: res cogitans, or thinking substance (mind, soul), and res extensa, or extended substance (matter, body). These are distinct in their essential attributes; the mind is unextended, indivisible, and conscious, while the body is extended, divisible, and operates according to mechanical principles. The interaction between these two distinct substances, particularly in the human being, remains a subject of inquiry.

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