Soul, Mind, Body

Question 1

Monism

Answer 1

Mind and body are one entity

Question 2

Dualism

Answer 2

Mind and body are two separate entities

Question 3

Materialism

Answer 3

Humans are purely physical beings

Question 4

Substance Dualism

Answer 4

Body and soul are two wholly separate substances. The mind/soul does not depend on the body for existence

Question 5

Aristotle’s view of body/soul

Answer 5

The soul is the animating principle of the body

Question 6

How does P Geach support Aristotle?

Answer 6

‘Man is a sort of body, not a body plus an immaterial somewhat’

Question 7

Identity Theory

Answer 7

All mental activity is centred in the brain and is a purely physical.

Question 8

Dawkins view of body/soul

Answer 8

Hard materialism; Soul One and Soul Two

Question 9

How does Dawkins describe Soul One?

Answer 9

Non- material life force; ‘mystic jelly’

Question 10

How does Dawkins describe Soul Two?

Answer 10

Intellect, reason or consciousness

Question 11

Name 2 issues of body/mind/soul

Answer 11

Personal identity and continuity

Question 12

Describe the issue of peronal identity

Answer 12

What constitutes a person? Can what makes a person a person be isolated and identified?

Question 13

Describe the issue of continuity

Answer 13

How am ‘I’ the same if my body or memory changes?

Question 14

What are the elements of Plato’s tripartite soul?

Answer 14

Reason, appetite and spirit

Question 15

What illustration describes Plato’s tripartite soul?

Answer 15

The charioteer - reason is at the helm, wayward horses of spirit and appetite

Question 16

What is P Geach’s criticism of Plato?

Answer 16

He questions how can a disembodied soul see the forms since seeing is a physical process?

Question 17

Plato’s argument from Knowledge

Answer 17

The soul has a priori knowledge from the World of the Forms and remembers the perfect and eternal Forms (concepts/ideals), for example recognizing beauty.

Question 18

Plato’s argument from Opposites

Answer 18

Since life is something, death must also be something ? the moving of the soul to the world of the Forms.

Question 19

For Aristotle, what does the soul?

Answer 19

The soul is not a substance but gives the form, shape or characteristics of an object.

Question 20

List 4 examples Aristotle uses

Answer 20

Imprint in wax, eye and its ability to see, axe and its ability to chop, statue (formal cause)

Question 21

Aristotle - faculties of the soul

Answer 21

Vegetative, appetitive and intellect

Question 22

The main proponent of substance dualism

Answer 22

Descartes

Question 23

Descartes’ reasons for his view

Answer 23

The body is divisible but the mind is not e.g. amputating a foot does not take anything away from the mind. The mind does not have parts ? it is the same mind that wills or understands something.

Question 24

For Descartes, where the mind/body interact

Answer 24

The pineal gland

Question 25

Descartes’ main critic

Answer 25

Gilbert Ryle “Concept of the Mind”

Question 26

How did Ryle describe substance dualism?

Answer 26

Ghost in the machine

Question 27

What did Ryle accuse Descartes of?

Answer 27

Category error

Question 28

What are Ryle’s examples of category error?

Answer 28

Foreigner visiting Oxford University or watching a game of cricket; boy seeing Division of the army

Question 29

What is the problem of interaction?

Answer 29

How can something non-spatial (soul) causally affect something spatial (body)?

Question 30

Anscombe’s argument from intention

Answer 30

The meaning and significance behind the pointing, cannot be deduced by bodily action alone, it requires a description of the thought

Question 31

Swinburne’s argument against materialism

Answer 31

Conscience, morality and personal identity cannot be explained without reference to a soul.

Question 32

Ward’s argument against materialism

Answer 32

It is the soul which gives humanity its special dignity and sense of purpose

Question 33

Aquinas’ view of the soul

Answer 33

It is the ?first principle of life?