Soul, Mind and Body Flashcards
Definition of Mind Vs. Body Vs. Soul?
Mind
- Seat of awareness, cognitive and emotional phenomena defining a persons character and individuality
Body
- Physical and material frame of a person
Soul
- “the non-physical essence of a person’ controversy over exact defitnions.
Dualism Vs. Monism Vs. Materialism
Dualism
- Theory the mind and body are separate, but related, entity’s.
- Plato, Rene Descartes, Aquinas
Monism
- Belief human beings (soul and Body) are a single entity made of the same substance
Materialism
- Subsect of monist that specifies the substance a person is made from is material
- Aristotle, Gilbert Ryle, Russell, Flew, Dawkins, Hume, Smith
What is the Mind-Body Problem?
Debate concerning the nature of the mind and body, and the relationship between the two, regarding whether they were separate, physical and how it affects human nature.
What is Plato’s view on the Mind-Body Problem?
- Dualist
–> Mind and body are separate but related entity’s
Anamnesis
- Claims the soul is born into the world with knowledge which is forgotten
- Soul acquires knowledge through recollection
Soul
- Is immaterial, and exists separately from the body
- Soul is “imprisoned” by the body
–> After death soul is set free from the body
- Goal of soul is to reach world of forms
Myth of Er
- Solider Er died, then came back to life
–> said during death souls separate from body, travel to divine place were souls choose their human bodies then drink potion to trigger anemnesis
The Charioteer
- From Republic, metaphor to describe nature of soul and body
–> One horse represents spirit, positive part of nature, Other represents desire, irrational passions e.g. concupiscent
–> Charioteer directs soul towards enlightenment
What are Aristotles 4 causes?
Material (what its made from)
Efficient (what brings out is presents (e.g. sculpture)
Final (its telos / end for what its done)
Formal (its essence)
What is Aristotle’s view on the soul, mind, body problem?
- Empiricist
Materialist - form of monism which believes mind and body are made from same material substance - Essence of a person (substance) is the soul
–> Soul is description of physical capacities of a person (not separate things)
–> Body is in continual state of change
–> All living things have a soul but humans have higher degree due to ability to reason - Soul inseparable from body
–> Soul dependent on body and cannot exist separate from it (unlike plato’s immoral soul) - Example of Axe
–> Soul of Axe is its ability to cut - soul is its ability to carry out telos
What is Rene Descartes view on the Mind - Body Problem?
17th Century
- Dualist - with focus on radical doubt
- 3 Waves of Doubt (why you should doubt everything)
–> Senses can deceive you - can ‘see’ things not there e.g. figure in room
–> How do you know your not dreaming - cannot verify reality
–> Evil demon making everything up 🤪
“I think, therefore I am”
- Can verify mind’s existence - Act of doubting existences proves existence of mind
–> cannot prove the body, therefore “real distinction” between mind + body
–> Dualism proven
Pineal Gland
- Mind + Body attached through pineal Gland
–> lots of bodily items are doubled (arms, eyes, ears etc.) singular pineal Gland suggests connection point between material body + immaterial soul
Criticism of Descartes?
- People feel pain, mental consequences to physical damage
- Substance dualist doesn’t explain mental thoughts cause physical action e.g. embarrassed = blushing
- ‘problem of other minds’ –> can only perceive + verify own mind + existence not others
Who are the Dualists Vs. Materialists
Materialists
- Aristotle
- Gilbert Ryle
- David Hume
- Bertrand Russell
- Richard Dawkins
- Anthony Flew
- Peter Smith
- D.Z. Phillips
Dualists
- Plato
- Descartes
- Aquinas
John Hick ?
What is Gilbert Ryle’s view on the Mind-Body Problem?
- Modern Materialist - 20th Century
- called Descartes dualism a ‘Ghost in the machine’ - insinuating we have some invisible ghost operating a physical body
- Category mistake
–> applying qualities to a non-material thing only appropriate for material things
examples
–> Watching game of cricket and asking were ‘team’ spirit is because don’t realise its a non-physical thing
–> touring individual buildings of a uni, and asking where the uni is not realising uni is collection of buildings - Soul/mind not in addition to body, just way of describing how body works
Bertrand Russell’s views on Mind-body problem?
Modern Materialist - 19th Century
- No such thing as immortal soul
- Idea of Life after death wishful thinking
–> caused by human fear of death
Richard Dawkins views on Mind-Body problem?
Modern Materialist - 20th Century
- Humans are survival machines, no greater calling only programmed to preserve genes
2 versions of the soul
1. non-material, non-physical vital principle, mysterious spirit - purposely circular definitions e.g. dualism
–> science will kill this idea
2. soul as unsolved scientific problem, but doesn’t mean can attribute it to a spirit
Anthony Flew’s views on the Mind-Body problem?
Modern Materialist - 20th Century
- Life after death + idea soul is separate from body = nonsensical
–> example of cheshire cat in Alice and Wonderland, cat disappeared but smile remained = impossible - Speak of mind / soul ‘substance’ is misuse of term, is dependent on the material body
Peter Smith’s views on Mind-Body Problem?
Modern Materialist
- Talk of Mind + Body as separate doesn’t prove they are separate
–> Similar to D.Z. Phillips
- Distinction between mental + physical properties not clear
–> e.g. hand-eye coordination requires combination of both
John Hick’s views on Mind-Body problem?
20th Century
- Soul as Mortal
- Replica Theory –> when we die, God creates replica of ourselves in a resurrection world
- Opposes views of dying as fearful
