Mind,Body, and Soul Flashcards
(47 cards)
What is Substance Dualism?
Descartes theory that humans are made up of two distinct parts the non-physical mind and the physical body.
Monism/ Materialist
No separation between the soul and body with materialist saying it can be fully explained through physical behaviour
What view did Plato take?
Dualism
what is Plato’s theory of opposites?
He often deals with Form and Particulars, knowledge vs. opinion, philosopher vs non-philosopher - this dual aspect idea links to humans
What did plato say is more important and why?
The mind is more important because the body is part of the empirical world and therefore is subject to change - cannot be relied on. Mind allows us to gain knowledge which is more important
What is the problem with the body according to plato?
It distracts us from real purpose (philosophical thought)
Why is the body a prison for the soul - plato?
Stops the should from achieving it purpose because the should is unchanging and capable of knowledge.
what does the analogy of the charioteer show?
There are 3 aspects within the soul - reason, appetite and spirit and the soul/mind works best when reason (charioteer) is in charge and there is a balance between appetite and spirit.
Past: Where was the soul before it was in the body?
in the WoF before it got pulled down by appetite to earth
Present: What does the soul do on earth?
Incarnated in the body and experiences all the tension between the body and soul - the soul is liberated from the body upon death
What is the Theory of Recollection?
We can remember things from the WoF - why we know when things are better than others as we have a rough idea what particulars are closer to the Form.
Future: What happens to the soul upon death
It will be freed from the body and reincarnated until it is freed to the world of the forms once it has leaned to be perfect - Myth of Er
What does Aristotle believe?
He is a monist meaning he believes that there is body and soul but they are not separate they are together inseparable.
What does Aristotle say about the WoF?
That is it not necessary everything can be explained through observation.
What does he mean by the soul is a form of the body? - Aristotle
It is a description of the essence of the body - our personalities and abilities. not a prison but essential - ‘we are body and soul’
explain the examples of the axe and the eye?
If the body was the axe then the should would be its ability to chop same with the eye the body is its physical shape and the soul is the ability to see.
What do the examples of the axe and eye show?
The body and soul are inseparable one cannot exist without the other.
What does Aristotle mean by hierarchy of being?
life on earth are made up of different parts - vegetables only have the vegetive element, animals have the vegetive and appetite (includes movement and desire) and humans have these two plus reason which is what separates us from them. - idea has been influential in religious thought
Counter to Plato - Subjective qualities
Hume states that qualities like goodness and beauty are subjective so they are not from the WoF - but plato can still be right with the math example
Counter to plato - recreation of Perfection
we can recreate perfection through abstract negation - We can imagine perfect circles as ‘not perfect’ creating the idea of perfection - we can explain perfect concepts without the realm of forms or the soul
Counter to plato - inductive leap about WoF
Even if we were born with perfect concepts it does not prove the existence of the WoF especially with the introduction of evolution.
Benefits of Plato - Gives purpose
If we believe the soul moves on and there is goal to get to the WoF it provides us with purpose in this life.
Benefits of Plato - human complexity
Plato tripartite view and the analogy of the charioteer explains why people have varying levels of reason and why some are better than others (serial killers)
Benefits of Plato - past life experiences
We have evidence of reincarnation through past lives.