Notes covering the H573/01 Philosophy of Religion topic of the Soul, Mind, and Body Problem, with explanation and notes covering all the necessary content for the exams.
The Mind – Body question:
o What is the connection between the grey, physical mass of the brain and the
vividness of conscious thought?
Psyche – Greek word for soul, but also for mind (often used interchangeably).
Nicene Creed – early 4th century Christian prayer of faith, deeply rooted in belief that there is
a soul and a resurrection of the body.
St Thomas Aquinas – he argued that matter is informed by a rational soul to compose a
human person. However, a person may survive their body’s death since a rational soul is
able to exist and function without matter. This is known as Thomistic Dualism.
Materialism – the soul does not exist, there is only a physical body.
o Materialism is the philosophical view that the only thing that can truly be said to
“exist” is matter; that fundamentally all things are composed of “material” and all
phenomena are the result of material interactions.
o Aristotle would be considered a soft materialist.
He thinks that everyone has one, is mortal, and they are all unique to each
person.
The only substance is matter, the soul / mind is a property of that substance.
Hard and Soft Materialism:
Similarities Differences:
the brain and the mind are separate and do not work HM believes that consciousness is nothing more than
independently of each other. brain activity, and individual characteristics are only
When the body dies so does the brain. physical.
SM states that personal identity cannot exist without SM sees consciousness as more than just a brain
the body. process, and that individual characteristics are more
than just physical.
SM recognises that the body shows inner emotions.
Dualism – the body and the soul are two separates but connected phenomena.
o Each human being consists of two distinct but conjoined entities, a material body,
and an immaterial soul. The body is part of the world, while the soul is supernatural.
o E.g., Plato – there is a soul, and it is immortal. Souls are trapped within a body and
wish to be free of them. He believed that souls belonged to the study of
metaphysics, because souls exist within the World of the Forms, which exists outside
of our material realm. He thought that the soul must exist, as there is no other way
of knowledge of the World of the Forms to pass across.
Monism – the belief that we are one substance, not two.
Substance dualism – the idea that two elements (mind and body) are wholly different
substances. This body would be material and the soul would be spiritual.
o This is what René Descartes believed.
Humanist – a person that believes that it is possible to live a good life without religious or
superstitious beliefs.
Positives Negatives
Scientific evidence. Beyond just “survival”.
Logic. Lacks empathy or depth to our identity.
Rational. Dehumanising to be born purely to reproduce.
Not fully closed to hard materialism. Need – Why do we do this?
“Modern” materialist.
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