Today in class we had a very engaging discussion on substance and property dualism philosophical thought and how it pertains to our perception of the human soul, an important religious concept. Substance dualism claims that the the mind (soul) is a separate identity than the physical human being that will live on past their deterioration of our bodies, while Property dualism claims that the mind, although different than the physical human frame, is still linked and thus will end with our death. To me, this argument sounds incredibly similar to a classic argument between atheists and theists: is our soul able to continue on without our physical frame? Coming from a religious background, I always favored the theists when regarding the separate nature of our souls, something that science can’t explain. Yet. When viewing this same argument with the substance vs property dualism thought patterns, I actually found myself favoring the property dualist thought. With the forward progress of technology, scientists and doctors can examine our brain at microscopic levels to see how our brain functions and how our thoughts and memories are processed. If they eventually prove that the mind and out thoughts are all a function of the physical brain and our personal identity is not as unique as originally thought, how can our soul be able to live on past death? If our mind/soul is connected to our physical body and property dualists are correct on their thinking, how can substance dualism offer a rebuttal? This perplexing question, though, relies on the eventual scientific discovery of the connection between thoughts and the mind, while religion is more along the lines of belief until proven otherwise. So for now, I personally side with the substance dualists, but I hope everyone else will keep their mind open to change just like I plan too.
I like your openness to new opinions that don’t necessarily coincide with your own! I too was raised religious, and therefore I am prone to siding with substance dualists, believing in the existence of a separate should that lives on even when the body dies. I believe this because I was pre-exposed to this idea my entire childhood and even into adulthood, even if evidence emerges that the soul is in the mind and the brain and therefore cannot live on without the body, I do not know if I would change my own personal beliefs.
As far as a living human, I would side with property dualism, there is a mind and a body that interact with another. Growing up as a Christian I would also like to hold on to my beliefs that there is an afterlife in which a person’s soul continues on to. Thus we are presented with a problem. Is it possible that after death the mind and body transform into a new entity which is the soul? What stance would other faiths take on this issue?
Elizabeth, I am a little confused about your question “Is it possible that after death the mind and body transform into a new entity which is the soul?” I believe that in substance dualism, the terms mind and soul are the same, more or less. In class, we discussed that according to substance dualism, every living person has a mind and a body and that after death, the soul continues on. We never differentiated between the mind and the soul, and I might be oversimplifying matters, but I think that they are the same.
Right, the terminology can get confusing. For substance dualists, the mind is a soul, that is, the mind is an immaterial thing. For identity theorists, on the other hand, the mind is identical to the brain (or, mental states are identical to brain states). So identity theorists don’t think there are any souls or immaterial things; if they talk about minds, they mean something material.
Koukl’s podcast 3/22/19. I think there are some scripture lines that mention mind & soul in the same sentence as if those are two different things. Perhaps mind is same as spirit and dies with the body (brain) but soul lives on?
If God intended you to know that it would already be a known fact. Even if the brain and mind are one, God can still bring our soul to his gates. Always remember to walk by faith not by sight. What science says bay be true to what religion says. Never doubt the almighty power of God. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 Science still does not know what God plans for anyone after death. That is why you have a mental capacity and your own free-will to think and believe as you choose. That’s an amazing gift to be able to think without science being able to factually know what you are thinking at any given time. Scientists still can not fully read your mind unless of course you give them physical evidence to what you are thinking.
Substance dualism claims that the the mind (soul) is a separate identity than the physical human being
you use the word “the” twice
God describes this to us through Paul in Romans 8:1-11; the theme of these verses is explicitly speaking of the difference between carnal mind (flesh) and the Spiritual mind [soul]. He states the vs.2 “For the law of the [Spirit of life] that was in Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death”, there was a separate spirit in Christ, which was the “Holy Spirit” that is the Spirit of eternal life: thus, through my faith in Him I have received this same spirit. Vs. 3 again makes the difference between the limitations of the flesh and Christ through His innocent death defeated those limitations, for it says He was made in the [likeness] of sinful flesh. V.6 makes it clear that the carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot please God for it is under the curse. Now Vs. 10,-11; says
“And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of the cures [sin] but the Spirit is life because of righteousness”, being Jesus’s innocent death: V11, explains it plainly, the same Spirit that rose Christ from the grave if in us, will also quicken our {MORTAL} bodies. And for the Climax, knowing no one will probably read this, but I want to end on this note. 1 Corinthians 15 39-51: Paul [God] makes it very clear; their different kinds of bodies, celestial and terrestrial all different in their appearances, i.e, the stars and moon and sun all have their different characteristics, also is the resurrection from the dead V.43 the body is sown in weakness [death] but raised in power, Vs. 44 there is a natural body and a spiritual body and the day of resurrection your [Spirit] which is a form of energy not in the form of a terrestrial body, will be given your heavenly body thus in philosophical terms for man, your “material” mind, will be reunited with a heavenly body, so in closing the life in eternity will be your soul ‘mind’ in your body as one. So you don’t live eternal without a body. Praise Yahushua the Christ for He is deserving of it!