SOUL MIND BODY Flashcards
what to include in introduction
am i my body?, am i my consciousness? and the mind-body question
explain ‘am i my body?’ question
if you say ‘i feel pain when my hand is hurt’, is my hand part of what i have or is it part of what i am?
if my leg has been amputated, my body is less but am i less me?
if i gain weight, my body is more but am i?
explain the ‘am i my consciousness?’ question
me as a baby
me with dementia
am i more or less me in both of these situations?
what is the mind-body question
relationship between body and mind - what is the connection between brain and conscious thought and so WHAT AM I?
who influenced platos ideas on the soul
pythagoras - emphasised distinction between spiritual soul (psyche) and material body
how are platos beliefs on the soul/mind/body similar to development of theory of forms
nothing material is permanent! if permanence cannot be found in visible material world, then it must exist in the realm of the spiritual
plato qualities of the soul
indivisible, immortal
why is immortality of soul a problem and how did plato solve this
if my soul existed before my life and continues after my death, where does it go? SO developed theory of the Forms and world of Forms
name of platos understanding of body/soul relationship
platonic dualism
how does plato justify world of Forms theory in his views on smb
argument from recollection
what is the dim recollection of perfect forms called
anamnesis
who criticises plato’s theory of the forms
hume
what is hume’s criticism
we can actually create the idea of perfection ourselves, through abstract negation we imagine imperfect circles ‘not imperfect’, which creates the idea of perfection SO w can explain perfect concepts without the need for soul or forms
so, what two points does platos theory fail on
- humes criticism
- its a leap to think a soul and realm of forms must explain perfect concepts
AND SO,soul and realm of forms are not the explanation
who does aristotle disagree with
plato - says the soul is something separate from the body
aristotle argues that the properties of an object cannot be separated from the object
which cause relates to this topic
formal cause - i am a person because my body is animated by the soul which gives it life; the soul is the formal cause of the body OTHERWISE i am just matter (the material cause)
what term describes aristotles position
materialism
what does aristotle believe happens after death
when the soul dies, you go back to being a lump of matter, no personal survival after death
aristotles three elements of the soul
vegetative, appetitive, and intellectual
what is the vegetative soul
shared with all living things incl. plants
what is the appetitive soul
in which we find passions and appetites such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire found in animals and humans
what is the intellectual soul
rational and directive belongs only in humans
aquinas’ view of the soul
the soul is the principle of life, my life needs the body to be animated
role of body in Aquinas’ view
the body is necessary for me to be me
