(2) Soul Body Mind

Question 1

What is PLATO’s view on the SOUL?

Answer 1

a SUBSTANCE DUALIST - believing the SOUL and BODY are 2 SEPERATE substances - PHYSICAL ( material ) and NON-PHYSICAL

Question 2

What does PLATO believe about the SOUL

also prior to incarnation

Answer 2

it’s the REAL, essential, IMMORTAL part of ourselves that never dies
people’s SOULS are REINCARNATED AFTER DEATH, at which point it LEAVES a BODY and MOVES to ANOTHER body
PRIOR to INCARNATION, soul GOES to WORLD OF FORMS where it REACHES IT’S HIGHEST STATE - witnesses true knowledge

Question 3

What is PLATO’s Argument from Opposites?

Answer 3

argues that EVERY QUALITY COMES INTO BEING from IT’S OPPOSITE

concludes that the BODY and SOUL are OPPOSITES

the body : Dies, Temporary, Physical
the soul : Immortal, Eternal, Immaterial

Question 4

Explain PLATO’S Argument from Recollection

Answer 4

Evidence that the SOUL is a Separate Substance from the Body is that I REMEMBER (recollect) the FORM of BEAUTY when I SEE beauty in the WORLD

I KNOW what’s FAIR/unfair because my SOUL REMEMBERS the FORM of JUSTICE

Question 5

Explain what PLATO mean by CONFLICT WITHIN THE SOUL?

Answer 5

Plato says there are 3 ASPECTS Within the Soul : REASON, EMOTION , APPETITE (desire)
The Soul is like a charioteer in charge of 2 horses. The charioteer represents ‘ reason ‘ and the 2 wayward horses represent our emotions and appetites
Suggests that our EMOTIONS and APPETITES (desires) PULL us ALONG and MOTIVATE US.
If our emotions the lead, they can get the better of us, and if our appetites take the lead we can over-indulge in pleasure and be driven by green or anger

The SOUL is IN HARMONY when REASON is IN CONTROL

Question 6

What is 1 Strength and 2 Weaknesses of Plato’s view of the soul?

Answer 6

+ gives an ANSWER to what HAPPENS AFTER DEATH

• GEACH questions How can the SOUL SEE the forms when SEEING is a PHYSICAL PROCESS and requires a body
• His view on the soul RELIES on the EXISTENCE OF the FORMS and the theory of the forms is HEAVILY CRITIQUED

Question 7

What is ARISTOTLE’s view on the SOUL?

Answer 7

REJECTS PLATO

believes USING OBSERVATION and SENSE EXPERIENCE he concludes that HUMANS are MADE UP of BODY & a SOUL

the body and soul are ONE SINGLE UNITY - that can’t be separate from each other - MONISM

Question 8

What is ARISTOTLE’s ILLUSTARTION of his view on the Soul

Answer 8

illustrates his view of the Soul with a WAX SEAL
the IMPRINT STAMPED INTO a BLOCK OF SOFT WAS is INSEPARABLE FROM THE WAX - it can’t be removed because the imprint and the wax are one single unity
In the same way, the BODY and SOUL are INSEPARABLE

Question 9

What does ARISTOTLE believe about Life After Death?

Answer 9

the BELIEF that the BODY and Soul are one unity means that the soul can’t exist without the body - there can be NO LIFE AFTER DEATH

when I die, MY SOUL DIES and I go back to being a Lump of Matter

Question 10

What are ARISTOLE’S 2 EXAMPLES that illustrate that the SOUL CAN’T EXIST WITHOUT THE BODY?

Answer 10

• If we imagine an AXE to be a LIVING THING then its SOUL would BE its ABILITY TO CHOP WOOD
  The Capacity to Chop Wouldn’t have Existence Without the Axe
  In the same way, the SOUL CANNOT EXIST without the BODY
• If we imagine the EYE to be a LIVING THING, it’s SOUL would BE its CAPACITY to SEE
  The Capacity to see COULDN’T EXIST without the BODY

Question 11

Explain what ARISTOTLE means about the HIERACHY OF THE SOUL

3

Answer 11

Aristotle believes that ALL LIVING THINGS POSSES a SOUL and the VARIOUS TYPES OF SOUL are ARRANGED IN a HIERARCHY

• a VEGETATIVE SOUL - which PLANTS have, in that they have the capability to get nourishment/reproduce
• a PERCEPTIVE ( sensitive ) SOUL - which ANIMALS have, in that they have senses which they experience the world, react to stimuli, distinguish between pleasure and pain
• an INTELLECTUAL ( rational ) soul - which HUMANS have, in that they have the ability to reason and tell right from wrong

Question 12

Explain ARISTOTLE’S BODY/SOUL RELATIONSHIP

Answer 12

he observes that the LIVING and the DEAD CHICKEN both have MATTER but the DEAD CHICKEN NO LONGER CLUCKS

he CONCLUDES that the CHANCE between the LIVING and the DEAD CHICKEN is because the FORMAL CAUSE, the SOUL, has died with the BODY

My BODY is my MATERIAL CAUSE but my SOUL is my FORMAL CAUSE
My SOUL ANIMATES MY BODY, i.e GIVES IT LIFE
My soul is ALSO the EFFICIENT CAUSE of my Body ( animates it ) and the FINAL CAUSE - the Telos (purpose) of my soul is to live a good life

Question 13

What is Consciousness?

Answer 13

best described as SELF-AWARENESS - that we have thoughts, feelings, desires, imagination - an ‘inner life’ or ‘inner self’

is entirely private to is - we each have a unique , very personal perspective on our world

Question 14

What is the MIND/BODY PROBLEM?

and its 3 main issues

Answer 14

is about HOW the MIND & BODY RELATE TO EACHOTHER

3 main issues:

• how can something as strange as consciousness be explained?
• is my mind separate from my body?
• if so, how do my mind and body interact

Question 15

What is DESCARTES’s view on the SOUL?

Answer 15

argues that the BODY & MIND are 2 VERY DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES
he’s a DUALIST

the MIND has MENTAL PROPERTIES - Immaterial, (thinking&feeling) Singular & Individible
the BODY has PHYSICAL PROPERTIES - material , can be divided to different parts (head,leg)

Each has DIFFERENT PROPERTIES so 2 DISTINCT SUBSTANCES
E.g. if a limb is amputated from the body, nothing is taken away from their mind

Question 16

What is DESCARTES’ ARGUMENT FROM DOUBT?

Answer 16

he DOUBTED his PHYSICAL EXSTENCE (through SCEPTICISM,, questioned being deceived into thinking we have a body)

but he came to the conclusion “I think therefore I am”, since he was still thinking the BODY & MIND must be separate
CONCLUDED that the MIND is the ONLY CERTAIN PIECE OF KNOWLEDGE that you CAN’T DOUBT -
IF we CAN THINK , WE MUST EXIST - RD’s 1 certainty

Question 17

What is the main problem for DESCARTES’S point and his SOLUTION

Answer 17

there needs to be an EXPLANANTION of how the B&M interact so closely - how the immaterial mind communicate and interact with material body - e.g. thought connect with hands when writing

RD’S SOLUTION is the PINEAL GLAND - a small organ in the brain that’s said to be THE MEETING POINT OF BODY & MIND.
This was chosen as there’s 2 of everything in the head but only 1 Pineal Gland - indivisible

Question 18

What is the the Problem of DESCARTES’ solution - PINEAL GLAND ?

Answer 18

PINEAL GLAND being the HOME OF the MIND LACKS SCIENTIFIC EVDIENCE and seems to be picked as it’s the ONLY PART F HEAD where there’s 2 of everything

Question 19

RYLE - Critic of DESCARTES - CATEGORY ERROR

Answer 19

• DESCARTES MADE a CATEGORY ERROR his USE of LANGUAGE was INACCURATE
• used EXAMPLE to Explain - a FOREIGNER who GOES to a CRICKET GAME and is SHOWN the WICKET and BALL BUT ASKS WHERE the TEAM SPIRIT IS
• Category Error is IT’S a MISTAKE to TREAT TEAM SPIRIT as PART of GAME WHEN IT’S a DIFFERENT ASPECT =,
• IN the SAME WAY - DESCATES makes a CATGEORY ERROR when ASSUMING the MIND is a SEPERSTE SUBSTANCE FROM the BODY
• the Term BODY and MIND is a DESCRIPTION Of the WHOLE -> MIND ISN’T SEPERATE , it’s an ASPECT of HOW the BODY BEAHVES
• OUR USE of LANGUAGE SUPPORTS RYLE - we don’t say “ our mind decided to make tea “

Question 20

What is Materialism?

Answer 20

the VIEW that ONLY PHYSICAL MATTER EXISTS - humans are only flesh,blood,nerves and cells:
-there’s no soul or separate mind
-when physical life ends, the brain dies, mental activity ceases and there’s nothing left.
There’s no life after death
- all mental activity takes place in the brain - thinking, decision making, opinions , intention, emotions (consciousness) - takes place in the brain ( a physical organ )

Question 21

Explain what NEUROSCIENCE is and HOW it’s evidence of materialism?

Answer 21

NEUROSCIENCE is the SCIENTIFIC STUDY of the BRAIN

they CAN EXPLAIN both the BRAIN & CONSCIOUSNESS

they KNOW that our BRAINS are MADE UP of NEURONS which carry information and communicate with each other by SENDING SINGLES which rush along tiny fibres from one neuron to the next

thy KNOW which PARTS of the BRAIN are RESPONSIBLE for language , memory and emotions suggesting that there’s NO SINGLE PLACE WITHIN the BRAIN WHERE CONSCIOUSNESS HAPPENS , but that’s lots of process make up our consciousness

Question 22

What is EVIDENCE of MATERIALISM?

Answer 22

MEDICATION - it ALTERS he CHEMISTRY of the BRAIN and has a REAL EFFECT on PERSONALITY , mood and BEHAVIOUR is an INDICATION that CHANGES IN THOUGHT are PURELY PHYSICAL

Question 23

How do people argue about the BRAIN and MIND being DIFFERENT?

Answer 23

we CHOSE our ACTIONS which CREATE the STRUCTURAL CHANGES that can be SEEN ( our brain doesn’t force us to do anything )

Question 24

What are 3 DIFFERENCES between the BRAIN and the MIND?

Answer 24

Brain - PHYSICAL , MADE up OF blood CELLS and can TOUCH, has a DEFINITE SHAPE and structure

Mind - MENTAL, NOT MADE up of any CELLS, NO DEFINITE SHAOE or STRUCTURE

Question 25

What are the 3 Types of Materialism?

Answer 25

IDENTITY THEORY - view that the MIND is IDENTICAL with the body.

PROPERTY DUALISM - view that MATTER (the body) can have 2 DISTINCT kinds of PROPERTIES : PHYSICAL and MENTAL

EMERGENT MATERIALISM - view that NEW PROPERTIES EMERGE from PHYSICAL MATTER as it BECOMES MORE COMPLEX

Question 26

What does DAWKINS believe about the SOUL?

and his 2 versions

Answer 26

Dawkins REJECTS the IDEA of the SOUL; consciousness is no more than neurons firing within the brain.

‘Soul One’ the PLATONIC IDEA of a soul, capable of LIFE AFTER DEATH and of knowing God, For Dawkins, this is the IDEA used BY PRE-SCIENTIFIC PEOPLE.
he REJECTS THIS UNDERSTANDING of a soul saying it’s “not an explanation but an evasion”

Soul Two is a way of referring to PERSONALITY, individuality, the INTELLECT (consciousness) - IS NOT SEPERATE from the BRAIN

Question 27

Explain the MATERIALISTIC idea that the Soul is a Metaphor

Answer 27

We often SPEAK of a SOUL METAPOHORICALLY
e.g. ‘heart and soul’ into something

perhaps the word ‘Soul’ DOESN’T REFER TO a real LITERAL EXTRA PART of us.
perhaps it’s best understood as a metaphor - a way of CAPTURING the SPECIAL IMPORTANCE of BEING HUMAN and HAVING CONSCIOUNESS

the SOUL metaphorically AVOIDS some DIFFICULT QUESTIONS like WHERE the Soul is LOCATED and how IT’S ATTACHED to THE BODY and WHERE it COMES FROM