Self, Death and Afterlife Flashcards

1
Q

Hard Materialism

A

Characteristics are all physical

The mind is just neurons firing in the brain

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2
Q

Soft Materialism / Property Dualism

A

The only substances are physical ones
But there are mental properties
The mind and body cause events in one another

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3
Q

Materialism

A

One type of substance

Our body and soul are inseparable

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4
Q

Dualism

A

Exists both bodies and souls

Separate but linked

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5
Q

Substance Dualism

A

The mind exists independently

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6
Q

Aristotle

A
  • Materialist
  • The psyche (soul) is the formal cause of all living things
  • Inseparable
  • Wax stamp analogy
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7
Q

Plato

A
  • Dualist
  • Death is the separation of the soul from the body
  • Soul cannot be destroyed as all unseen things are ‘simple’
  • Simple things aren’t made up of parts and to destroy something is to break it up into its parts
  • Everything comes from its opposite
  • So life must come from death
  • So our souls must exist in another world beforehand
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8
Q

Cartesian Dualism

A
  • Body and soul exist independently but are connected by the pineal gland
  • Body is not needed to live an intellectually aware and active life
  • Soul contains our identity which comes from our ability to think and reason
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9
Q

Challenger of dualist view

A

Bernard Williams

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10
Q

Bernard Williams

A

Our identity depends on how we recognise each other so includes our body

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11
Q

Other challenges to dualism

A
  • Science has shown link between body and mind so how can they exist independently?
  • If our minds are non-physical, how can they cause a physical reaction
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12
Q

Hick’s replica theory

A
  • John smith analogy

- Allows us to conceive the divine reincarnation of an individual

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13
Q

Quantum Consciousness

A

Microtubules are released at death

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14
Q

Category mistake philosopher

A

Ryle

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15
Q

Ryle’s view

A
  • Hard materialist
  • We talk about the soul as if it is a substance, this is a category mistake
  • ‘ghost in the machine’
  • Our soul is how we interact with each other
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16
Q

Dawkins

A

Memes and Genes

Memes are a contribution to the world’s culture

17
Q

Challenge to Dawkin’s memes

A

Maurice Bloch:

  • A communication link is established
  • This brings it into a different mental universe
  • Losing its identity and specificity
18
Q

Hindu Reincarnation

A
  • You have a physical body
  • Contains your Atman (soul)
  • Which contains your Jiva (Immortal essence)
  • Aim is to escape the cycle of samsara and achieve moksha
  • Done by achieving good karma and your dharma
  • karma is carried from one life to the next and determines how you are reincarnated
  • No personal attributes are carried, just your Jiva
19
Q

Buddhist Rebirth

A
  • There is no soul
  • There is an evolving stream of consciousness that upon death causes the rise of a new aggregation
  • Neither distinct nor different from the old one
  • Candle analogy