Soul, Mind and Body Flashcards
What is the body/soul distinction?
the idea of personal identity
what is dualism?
the division of body and soul
what is anemnsis?
Aristotles word for recollection
What is substance dualism?
the belief that the body and soul are wholly different substances
what is monism?
they are one element not two
what is materialism?
humans/physical beings- a part of monism
what is Hick’s “replica theory”?
thought experiment to suggest that post more-tom existence is a possibility
what is Hick’s theistic monism?
the body and soul are one
what is Dawkins’ “soul one”?
separate substances of much traditional thought
what is Dawkins’ “soul 2”?
intellectual and spiritual power, higher development of mental faculties
what is identity theory?
all mental activities are centred in the brain-monism
what is meta-physical?
beyond physical
what is reduction?
breaking down a person into parts
what is idealism?
we have one single nature which is entirely meta physical- the physical world, including our bodies, is an illusion-monism
what is epiphenomalism?
bodily events can cause mental events but mental events cannot cause physical events-monism
what is functionalism?
all mental states have a casual role
what did Plato believe about the body and soul?
- he was a dualist
- he believes the soul must exist in the realm of the spiritual
- the soul will move to another body after that body dies
give and example of dualism
Socrates death-drinking hemlock
give 3 strengths of platos dualism
- links to the theory of the forms
- agrees with christian views of afterlife
- it is logical
give 3 weaknesses of plato’s dualism
- the soul is understood through senses
- learning is acquiring new knowledge
- relies on theory of the forms which also has many weaknesses
what is the example for Dawkins ideas of the soul?
The chariot and the charioteer
what did Descartes say?
“i think therefore i am”
what does Descartes believe?
he is an extreme dualist and a rationalist
what does descartes believe?
he believes there is no connection between the body and the soul, he believes his body and the material may be an illusion
give 3 weaknesses of Descartes views
- you cant prove that the area of the brain the soul is in exists
- you cant prove the mind is spiritual
- you cant see the soul so you cant scientifically say it exists
give 2 strengths of Descartes
- it is logical
- there is no evidence for the material world therefore it may be an illusion
what does Ryle believe?
he believes the mind doesn’t tell your body what to do as you have physical processes for that
who criticises Descartes
Gilbert Ryle
what does Ryle accuse Descartes of?
category error-assuming that 2 terms are of the same logical type
give 2 strengths of Ryle
- category error is logical
- it is more realistic
give 3 weaknesses of Ryles views
- in some ways it is anti-christian
- you cant prove there are both mental and physical processes
- you cant prove that the mind doesn’t tell your body what to do but physical processes do
give an example of a soft materialist and say what they believe
John Hick-he believes the soul and the body are one (theistic monism)
what does John Hick say?
“my soul is not me”
3 criticisms of John Hick’s the replica theory
- problems of continuity
- cannot be an exact replica of the original person
- would the replica age or exhibit the same injuries that killed the person?
implications of materialism
- intentionality
- moral responsibility
- nature of the universe
- theory of everything
