Soul, Mind, Body

Question 1

What is Dualism

Answer 1

The idea that humans are a combination of a physical body and a non physical soul, the soul lives on after death.

Question 2

What is Monism

Answer 2

The idea that Humans are both physical body and non psychical soul, but the soul dies after death as both the body and the soul require eachother

Question 3

What is Materialism

Answer 3

The idea that humans are just physical matter with no separate soul, there is no afterlife, just material.

Question 4

What is Plato’s view of the soul

Answer 4

Plato was a dualist and believed that when the body dies the soul is released into the afterlife.
Plato also believed that the soul is unchanging, immortal and part of the forms

Question 5

What are the two levels Plato thinks of existence

Answer 5

Appearance / Reality
Senses / Reason
Opinion / Knowledge
Physical / ideal forms
Body / Soul

Question 6

What does Plato think about the dynamic between the body and soul

Answer 6

The soul and body are in opposition, basically meaning that the soul wants to understand ideas and gain knowledge while the body is more caring about pleasures. The body is a nuisance.

Question 7

What does Plato believe about life and death

Answer 7

Death must come from life and life must come from death - like someone who is awake was once asleep.

Question 8

What idea did Plato use about the mind, body and soul

Answer 8

He believed that the soul is a charioteer, who is in charge of the mind and the body. The mind and body pulls in different directions. People who fail to do this are stuck with bodily needs.

Question 9

How does Plato arguing remembering things

Answer 9

Our knowledge of the forms are a-priori, we know what a perfect circle is and are aware of true good knowledge.

Question 10

What are some criticisms of Plato in mind body and soul

Answer 10

There is no actual proof of the world of the forms, and his ideas may cause us to devalue and not care about our bodies.

Question 11

What does Aristotle believe about the body and soul

Answer 11

All living things are enclosed. The matter is the body, the form is the soul. They both depend on each other, they cannot be separated, they are two halves of the same creature

Question 12

What is morphe

Answer 12

‘if the eye were an animal, sight would be the soul’, the soul changes physical matter

Question 13

What are the different types of souls Aristotle argues

Answer 13

Vegetative element - plants
Appetitive element - Animals
Reason element - Humans

Question 14

What is Descartes’ doubt

Answer 14

His idea that its possible to doubt his body but not his mind

Question 15

Was Descartes a dualist, monist or materialist

Answer 15

Dualist as he thought its possible for us to have a ‘disembodied existence’. Its possible to doubt body but not doubt mind

Question 16

What arguments favour dualism

Answer 16

The fact that we talk in ourselves as we are different from our bodies, ‘my body’ ‘I have a body’. We can also prove we think by understanding it. We cannot doubt our mind.

Question 17

What arguments don’t favour dualism

Answer 17

Language does not prove anything as language may be entirely nurture.

Question 18

What is Ryle’s critique of Dualism

Answer 18

Ryle argues that our problem is that were thinking about the mind as a ‘thing’ that is physical or non-physical. Ryle argues that it is a categorical mistake as it is just human behaviour which can be analysed by science.

The example is the team spirit and the cricket players

Question 19

What does Dawkins argue about the soul

Answer 19

States that there is no after life and no God so therefore there cannot be a soul.

We are entirely materialistic, seen through how our personality and body controls can change based on manipulation within the brain

Dawkins argues that the afterlife is just a fake thing for people who fear death

Question 20

What is the selfish gene

Answer 20

The idea that humans are survival machines programmed to preserve genes

Question 21

What does Dawkins believe about life after death

Answer 21

Believes that the 9/11 attacks wouldn’t of happened if there was no belief of an afterlife or a reward afterlife.
‘‘To fill a world with religions of the Abrahamic kind, is like littering the streets with loaded guns. Do not be surprised if they are misused’’

Question 22

What is Dawkins sense of awe

Answer 22

The idea that we are able to open our eyes after millions of years for a short amount of time in the sun, we are to enjoy it.

Question 23

What are some criticisms of Dawkins

Answer 23

Dawkins misrepresents religion, and believes God to be a physical creator within the universe.

Question 24

What can be used to argue the idea of a soul biologically

Answer 24

That the soul / consciousness is just an illusion for humans

Question 25

What philosophers are within soul, mind and body

Answer 25

Plato
Aristotle
Descartes
Dawkins