self, death + afterlife

Question 1

What was Plato?

Answer 1

A dualist

Question 2

What did Plato call the body in Phaedo (quote)?

Answer 2

“The body is a source of endless troubles”

Question 3

What did Plato believe the Forms were?

Answer 3

Eternal, perfect, timeless + metaphysical

Question 4

What did Aristotle believe?

Answer 4

The soul + body are separate

Question 5

What does Aristotle say about the example of the eye?

Answer 5

Sight gives the eye its purpose
The soul gives the body its purpose

Question 6

Why is Aristotle a monist?

Answer 6

The soul is expressed through the body, so how can they be separated? They’re locked together

Question 7

What was Descartes?

Answer 7

Dualist

Question 8

How did Descartes term the body?

Answer 8

Res extensa (extended thing)

Question 9

How did Descartes term the soul/mind?

Answer 9

Res cognita (mental substance)

Question 10

What do Descartes 3 proofs do?

Answer 10

To show the soul can exist wo the body

Question 11

What are the 3 proof from Descartes?

Answer 11

• Argument from Doubt
• Argument from divisibility + non divisibility
• Argument from clear + distinct perception

Question 12

What did Descartes say in his argument from doubt?

Answer 12

‘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?

Question 13

Why might Descartes argument from doubt not work?

Answer 13

The body makes the brain function, making the mind function

Question 14

What is Descartes’ argument from divisibility + non divisibility?

Answer 14

• All bodies are extended in space + divisible
• Minds aren’t divisible
• Minds are therefore diff from body

Question 15

What e.g. can we use for the argument from divisibility + non divisibility?

Answer 15

Cutting off a limb would remove 20% of the body, but 20% of the mind would remain

Question 16

Why might Descartes’ argument from divisibility + non divisibility not work?

Answer 16

When the brain is damaged the mind can be damaged, so to an extend is ‘divided’

Question 17

What is Descartes’ argument from clear + distinct perception?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Why might Descartes’ argument from clear + distinct perception not work?

Answer 18

He assumes God

Question 19

Who devised the Ghost in the Machine analogy?

Answer 19

Gilbert Ryle

Question 20

What does Gilbert Ryle say about the Ghost in the Machine?

Answer 20

The soul isn’t smth that can be pointed out
Just like how we can’t point out team spirit in a sports game

Question 21

What did Ryle believe belief in a soul was? What is this?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What does Hume say about soul substance? ( as argument against Descartes’ arg)

Answer 22

‘Soul substance’ solves nth bc claiming conscience comes from non-material is circular bc thought may have material explanation

Question 23

What does Dawkins believe about the soul?

Answer 23

Hard materialist; there is o soul; we live on through memories + DNA

Question 24

What does Dawkins say about death?

Answer 24

We don’t fear pre-birth or the feeling of being unborn; death is the same as being unborn

Question 25

What did Descartes suggest about the pineal gland?

Answer 25

The pineal gland was the point where the mind controlled the body

Question 26

Why doesn't Descartes arg. about the pineal gland work?

Answer 26

Modern anatomy shows the gland is associated w production of melatonin which reg. sleep rhythm

Question 27

What does Physicalism mean?

Answer 27

There's no body/soul relationship

Question 28

What does physicalism argue? Give example of the reductive philosophy?

Answer 28

Everything can be explained in terms of matter Water reduces to H20 Mind reduces to brain

Question 29

What does physicalism seem to explain?

Answer 29

Old age sometimes leads to progressive brain damage Intoxication causes surroundings to distort Excitement leads to pulse increase

Question 30

What will physicalists believe about love?

Answer 30

Love is just a chemical reaction in the brain

Question 31

What is functionalism?

Answer 31

Physicalist theory

Question 32

What does functionalism argue?

Answer 32

The mind is seen as an information processing system; like a computer program

Question 33

What is an example of functionalism?

Answer 33

Heart pumps blood around body

Question 34

How can we use a thermostat to explain functionalism in the body?

Answer 34

Thermostat func. ~ keep alive/think Input ~ blood/energy/signals Output ~ breathing/thoughts etc

Question 35

What does Functionalism use instead of soul?

Answer 35

Mind

Question 36

What does the thermostat example show?

Answer 36

Output wouldn't be possible if you were dead/in a coma; so the mind + body are connected

Question 37

What do functionalists think the mind is?

Answer 37

Mind = function of brain Brain = part of body

Question 38

What is dual-aspect monism?

Answer 38

Monist - claims that there's only one entity

Question 39

What is qualia?

Answer 39

Qualities of subj. experience Smell of coffee, pain of paper cut

Question 40

What do dual aspect monists believe about qualia?

Answer 40

It can't be. refused to a chemical process in the brain

Question 41

What comes under the possibility of psychological continuity after death?

Answer 41

Parfits Bundle theory Dennett's survival bc uploading brain info to a diff platform

Question 42

What does Parfit describe changes?

Answer 42

We're psychologically + spatiotemporally connected w past + future states of existence BUT body, memory + personality changes

Question 43

Where does the bundle come into Parfits Bundle theory?

Answer 43

We're a bundle of everything we've experienced, out ago, changes, memory, personality, illness

Question 44

What is continuity in the bundle theory?

Answer 44

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

Question 45

What does Parfitt say about death?

Answer 45

We don't live on after death bc the physical body + brain die + a person's mems + personality die w them

Question 46

How does Parfitt say we live on?

Answer 46

Through connectedness w children + friends but no deeper level of self remains

Question 47

What does Dennett say about survival by uploading brain onto a diff platform?

Answer 47

A human brains data can be stored + run on a diff platform, providing psychological continuity

Question 48

What theory is Dennetts theory?

Answer 48

Functionalism

Question 49

What did hick believe about humans?

Answer 49

Humans are a unity; when the body dies, the soul dies

Question 50

What is the first case of Hick's replica theory?

Answer 50

A living person transported from one part of the world to another

Question 51

What is the second case of Hick's replica theory?

Answer 51

A dead person in 1 part of the world + appearance of a 'replica' in another

Question 52

What is the third case of Hick's replica theory?

Answer 52

A dead person on earth but appearance as a resurrected person in another sphere

Question 53

Which scholars + theories come under the possibility of the existence after death as a conscious self?

Answer 53

Plato - immortality of the soul Price - disembodied souls Swinburne - light bulb arg

Question 54

How did Price view the afterlife?

Answer 54

Mind based

Question 55

What did Price say about disembodied souls?

Answer 55

The afterlife could be dreamlike; souls communicate telepathically wo need for a body

Question 56

What did Swinburne say about mental states + soul states?

Answer 56

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

Question 57

What are commonly occurring features of NDEs?

Answer 57

Out of body experience, tunnel toward bright life, meeting deceased loved ones, immense peace etc

Question 58

What are 2 points that show NDEs to be NOT useful evidence?

Answer 58

- The individuals aren't acc death - The brain experiences hallucinations due to medication or brains lack of oxygen etc

Question 59

What are 2 points that show NDEs to be useful evidence?

Answer 59

- Ppl w no optic nerves have sometimes reported sighted NDEs - Transformation of lives afterwards