Soul, mind and body Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is Plato’s view of the soul?
Plato is a substance dualist. Putting forward a dualistic understanding of soul and body
Plato- what is the difference between soul and body
Body:
Temporary, changing, physical, controlled by senses, mad of parts.
Soul:
Eternal, unchanging, immaterial, capable of reason (leading to true knowledge), indivisible (whole)
What is the argument of opposites
Every quality comes into being from its opposite (light only exists because darkness does as well). The body and soul are opposites. The body decays and dies while the soul is eternal. The soul cannot die as it gives life so must always have existed
Criticism of argument from opposites
Plato assumes that soul is opposite of body. Not everything has an opposite
Argument of recollection
The soul goes to the world of forms between incarnation where it witnesses true knowledge. Through anamnesis we remember the forms of beauty or justice from this time.
How does Plato illustrate recollection?
The slave boy story shows that a boy with no education uses knowledge from before birth to solve a puzzle
Argument of recollection
How can the soul ‘see’ the forms. Maybe the slave boy was learning
What is the body/soul conflict?
The soul is trapped in the body. It’s goal is to escape to the world of the forms
What is Aristotle’s view on the soul
He believe that that the body and soul are one single unity.this is called monism
How does the Aristotle illustrate his view?
The soups part of the body like how a stamp imprints in was. They are inseparable
Does Aristotle believe in life after death
No. He believes the soul and body are single so die together
How does Aristotle say there is no life after death
When the body is dead then the soul has no abilit to fulfill its purpose
What is the hierarchy of the soul
Aristotlebelieves that all things posses a soul
What is the body soul relationship for Aristotle
Thread body means the formal cause (the soul) has died with the body. The soul animâtes and gives life
What is consciousness
Self-awareness. We are aware of our thoughts and feelings. It is entirely private to us
What is the mind/body problem?
How are the mind and body related. How can consciousness be explained and is it separate from the body
What was descartes method of thinking
Scepticism. He disregarded all previous philosophy questioned absolutely everything
What problems did descartes face?
If mind and body are separate then how do they interact so closely.
How did descartes explain the connection between mind and body
He said there was two of everything in the world except the pineal gland that at the time had no use. He said this was the place where the mind met the body
Successes of descartes
He allows for life after death
We do appear to be more than bodies
Problems of descartes
He asserts his thinking
The pineal gland is now known to have a use
