self, death + afterlife Flashcards
What was Plato?
A dualist
What did Plato call the body in Phaedo (quote)?
“The body is a source of endless troubles”
What did Plato believe the Forms were?
Eternal, perfect, timeless + metaphysical
What did Aristotle believe?
The soul + body are separate
What does Aristotle say about the example of the eye?
Sight gives the eye its purpose
The soul gives the body its purpose
Why is Aristotle a monist?
The soul is expressed through the body, so how can they be separated? They’re locked together
What was Descartes?
Dualist
How did Descartes term the body?
Res extensa (extended thing)
How did Descartes term the soul/mind?
Res cognita (mental substance)
What do Descartes 3 proofs do?
To show the soul can exist wo the body
What are the 3 proof from Descartes?
- Argument from Doubt
- Argument from divisibility + non divisibility
- Argument from clear + distinct perception
What did Descartes say in his argument from doubt?
‘Cogito ergo sum’ - I think therefore I am
I can doubt I have a body but I can’t doubt that I have a mind, bc then how would I be able to doubt?
Why might Descartes argument from doubt not work?
The body makes the brain function, making the mind function
What is Descartes’ argument from divisibility + non divisibility?
- All bodies are extended in space + divisible
- Minds aren’t divisible
- Minds are therefore diff from body
What e.g. can we use for the argument from divisibility + non divisibility?
Cutting off a limb would remove 20% of the body, but 20% of the mind would remain
Why might Descartes’ argument from divisibility + non divisibility not work?
When the brain is damaged the mind can be damaged, so to an extend is ‘divided’
What is Descartes’ argument from clear + distinct perception?
If I can perceive myself as 2 diff kinds of things, its prob bc God created me as 2 diff kinds of things
God is perfect so he wouldn’t mislead me
Why might Descartes’ argument from clear + distinct perception not work?
He assumes God
Who devised the Ghost in the Machine analogy?
Gilbert Ryle
What does Gilbert Ryle say about the Ghost in the Machine?
The soul isn’t smth that can be pointed out
Just like how we can’t point out team spirit in a sports game
What did Ryle believe belief in a soul was? What is this?
A category error
A prob of lang when things are talked about as if they belong to 1 category when they acc belong to another
What does Hume say about soul substance? ( as argument against Descartes’ arg)
‘Soul substance’ solves nth bc claiming conscience comes from non-material is circular bc thought may have material explanation
What does Dawkins believe about the soul?
Hard materialist; there is o soul; we live on through memories + DNA
What does Dawkins say about death?
We don’t fear pre-birth or the feeling of being unborn; death is the same as being unborn
What did Descartes suggest about the pineal gland?
The pineal gland was the point where the mind controlled the body
Why doesn’t Descartes arg. about the pineal gland work?
Modern anatomy shows the gland is associated w production of melatonin which reg. sleep rhythm
What does Physicalism mean?
There’s no body/soul relationship
What does physicalism argue? Give example of the reductive philosophy?
Everything can be explained in terms of matter
Water reduces to H20
Mind reduces to brain
What does physicalism seem to explain?
Old age sometimes leads to progressive brain damage
Intoxication causes surroundings to distort
Excitement leads to pulse increase
What will physicalists believe about love?
Love is just a chemical reaction in the brain
What is functionalism?
Physicalist theory
What does functionalism argue?
The mind is seen as an information processing system; like a computer program
What is an example of functionalism?
Heart pumps blood around body
How can we use a thermostat to explain functionalism in the body?
Thermostat func. ~ keep alive/think
Input ~ blood/energy/signals
Output ~ breathing/thoughts etc
What does Functionalism use instead of soul?
Mind
What does the thermostat example show?
Output wouldn’t be possible if you were dead/in a coma; so the mind + body are connected
What do functionalists think the mind is?
Mind = function of brain
Brain = part of body
What is dual-aspect monism?
Monist - claims that there’s only one entity
What is qualia?
Qualities of subj. experience
Smell of coffee, pain of paper cut
What do dual aspect monists believe about qualia?
It can’t be. refused to a chemical process in the brain
What comes under the possibility of psychological continuity after death?
Parfits Bundle theory
Dennett’s survival bc uploading brain info to a diff platform
What does Parfit describe changes?
We’re psychologically + spatiotemporally connected w past + future states of existence BUT body, memory + personality changes
Where does the bundle come into Parfits Bundle theory?
We’re a bundle of everything we’ve experienced, out ago, changes, memory, personality, illness
What is continuity in the bundle theory?
Connection to our past selves but we’ll be diff
We would’ve had experiences in 1 hr that make us diff to who we were before that hr
What does Parfitt say about death?
We don’t live on after death bc the physical body + brain die + a person’s mems + personality die w them
How does Parfitt say we live on?
Through connectedness w children + friends but no deeper level of self remains
What does Dennett say about survival by uploading brain onto a diff platform?
A human brains data can be stored + run on a diff platform, providing psychological continuity
What theory is Dennetts theory?
Functionalism
What did hick believe about humans?
Humans are a unity; when the body dies, the soul dies
What is the first case of Hick’s replica theory?
A living person transported from one part of the world to another
What is the second case of Hick’s replica theory?
A dead person in 1 part of the world + appearance of a ‘replica’ in another
What is the third case of Hick’s replica theory?
A dead person on earth but appearance as a resurrected person in another sphere
Which scholars + theories come under the possibility of the existence after death as a conscious self?
Plato - immortality of the soul
Price - disembodied souls
Swinburne - light bulb arg
How did Price view the afterlife?
Mind based
What did Price say about disembodied souls?
The afterlife could be dreamlike; souls communicate telepathically wo need for a body
What did Swinburne say about mental states + soul states?
Soul is diff from brain
Whether embodied, or disembodied it can survive death + retain memories w the same identity, it just needs smth to replace the function performed by the brain on earth
What are commonly occurring features of NDEs?
Out of body experience, tunnel toward bright life, meeting deceased loved ones, immense peace etc
What are 2 points that show NDEs to be NOT useful evidence?
- The individuals aren’t acc death
- The brain experiences hallucinations due to medication or brains lack of oxygen etc
What are 2 points that show NDEs to be useful evidence?
- Ppl w no optic nerves have sometimes reported sighted NDEs
- Transformation of lives afterwards
