Soul, mind and body

Question 1

what did Plato suggest of the soul

Answer 1

the soul is distinct from the body, at the end of life the soul is set free.

Question 2

what is the goal of the soul for Plato

Answer 2

to reach the realm of the forms

Question 3

why is the body negative to Plato

Answer 3

as the body distracts the soul form seeking knowledge of the world of forms.

Question 4

what is the chariot analogy

Answer 4

the soul is the drive and the two horses are the mind and body, both horses pull in different directions and the soul tries to direct them to work in harmony.

Question 5

how does plato describe the soul

Answer 5

“simple and without parts”

Question 6

what are the three important parts of the soul

Answer 6

-reason, searches for truth
-spirit, aspects which can be trained such as emotion
-desire, seeking pleasure

Question 7

how is their evidence for the different aspects of the soul

Answer 7

through the conflict between the different aspects e.g, a child throwing a tantrum shows that spirit and desire are not being directed by reason.

Question 8

what does the lack of harmony in the soul mean for plato

Answer 8

stops the person obtaining knowledge of the forms.

Question 9

what did plato say of the soul

Answer 9

“soul is most similar to what is divine, immortal”

Question 10

what is one issue with plato’s fixed soul count

Answer 10

he did not take into account a growing population.

Question 11

what is Plato’s cyclic argument

Answer 11

there is a constant chain of birth, death and rebirth. the constant through this is the cycle of the soul.

Question 12

is Plato’s soul immortal?

Answer 12

yes as it exists in the spiritual world.

Question 13

how does Plato’s view of the soul differ from the christian one.

Answer 13

Plato’s soul has no beginning while Christians soul is created by God.

Question 14

what is the issue of a spiritual soul and a material body

Answer 14

how can a spiritual, invisible thing interact with a material body.

Question 15

what are the three levels of Aristotle’s soul.

Answer 15

1 - vegetative soul
2 - sensitive soul
3 - rational soul

Question 16

what type of cause is Aristotle’s soul

Answer 16

the formal cause

Question 17

what does Aristotle say of the soul and body and what does this suggest

Answer 17

“the self is essentially body and soul; the self is a unified creature” this suggests that the soul and the body are inseparable (Hylomorphic)

Question 18

is Aristotle’s soul immortal?

Answer 18

no, once the body ceases to exist so does the soul

Question 19

what analogy does Aristotle use

Answer 19

the wax and seal

Question 20

what is substance dualism

Answer 20

the idea that the mind and the body are distinct substances

Question 21

what is materialism

Answer 21

the idea that the mind and consciousness can be fully explained by the physical world

Question 22

what does Geach say to Plato’s soul

Answer 22

how can a spiritual thing do a physical action such as see the world of the forms

Question 23

Descarte on the soul

Answer 23

he must have a soul as he is able to think, so he knows he can exist even without a body as it might be an illusion by a demon. the mind and body are distinct things as they have different properties.

Question 24

critic of the mind does not have parts

Answer 24

mental illnesses such as multiple personalities suggest the mind can be separated.

Question 25

freudian idea of parts of the mind

Answer 25

consciously and unconsciously wanting something different can happen, suggesting parts to the mind

Question 26

critics of dualism

Answer 26

how can something mental affect a physical thing.

Question 27

what is Dawkins view

Answer 27

there is no soul that continues rather genes that get passed down

Question 28

what does Dawkins say of science and religion

Answer 28

science is killing religion

Question 29

what is soul 1 and soul 2

Answer 29

soul 1 is the belief that the soul is a real separate thing (plato)
soul 2 is the metaphorical idea of the soul referring to the deep part of our personality

Question 30

what did Ryle say on dualism

Question 31

descarte argued that there are two distinct substances, what are they?

Answer 31

mental and physical

Question 32

what is the essence of mental substance

Answer 32

thinking

Question 33

what is the essence of physical substance

Answer 33

extension which can lead to division

Question 34

what is the difference of mental substance suggested by Descartes

Answer 34

that it cannot be divided like physical substance as it cannot be extended