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Another Challenge to Mind-Body Dualists

On February 5, 2010, In Afterlife, Mind and Soul, Morality, Philosophy, By The Armchair Antichrist

This is a continuation of Obstacles for the Soul.

If the mind is immaterial and not limited by space then why is it limited to our physical bodies? If mind had those characteristics then our consciousness would not be limited to our bodies. But, everywhere my body goes my mind is also there. Rather, if mind is immaterial and not limited by space then it transcends space. We should be conscious of all the universe. If you think about it every mind would be godlike.

Furthermore, the mind is considered the true ’self’. The body is only a container. So, you should have no problems if I cut off some of your fingers. Better yet why don’t I free you from your container by killing you? That is what you are hoping for isn’t it? Life after death? What difference does it make when it happens? You will be spending an eternity in such a bodiless state anyways. It’s better to get you accustomed to it now.

Besides that, those of you who are pro-life would be in a moral dilemma. Abortion would not be wrong at all. If a embryo/fetus has a fully formed soul then it is alive regardless if its physical container is aborted. Its body may have died, but it has not died because the soul is its true self. Then again they might go to hell because they have not been baptized and cleansed of their original sin. But, that’s something you would have to take up with your Creator who made up this stupid guilty by genealogical rule.

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Tagged with: abortion • conception • embryo • fetus • godlike • immaterial • moral dilemma • original sin • pro choice • pro life • soul

Obstacles for the Soul

On December 14, 2009, In Afterlife, Mind and Soul, Philosophy, By The Armchair Antichrist

The existence of the soul which is responsible for our enduring identity is fundamental to Christianity and many other faiths. But, does the concept of the soul hold any water?

First let’s take a look at what the “soul” is. Just like the concept of God, there does not seem to be a clear ontology for the soul. It can only be described in comparison to the physical. For example, it is often described with words such as non-physical, immaterial and non-spatial. But, this does not explain anything at all.

Furthermore, how does an immaterial soul interact with a physical body? It is logically contradictory to say that something which is immaterial can have any effect on something which is material. Also, any added energy from the soul would violate the first law of thermodynamics.

And, if the soul exists why does damage to parts of the brain get reflected in decreased functionality in those areas which it is said to control (e.g. speech, motor-skills, problem-solving etc.)? Damage to the brain is physical and should not be able to affect these mental functions which reside in our non-physical souls.

Moreover, in some split-brain patients it has been found that half of the person believes in God and the other half of the person does not believe in God. Why would a physical split of the brain be able to split the identity of person so neatly in half if the non-physical soul is responsible for our enduring identity?

In addition, all of our senses are dependent on our physical body. Our eyes are necessary for vision, our tongue for taste, our nose for smell, and so on. How could we still be able to experience anything without a physical body? If the soul is capable of all those things without the body it seems very pointless and redundant to have sensory organs at all.

Lastly, the concept of the soul would be very counterintuitive to our sense of morality. If our physical bodies are only containers and it is the soul that is who we are, then we would not die when our bodies do. Our souls would exist and we would still be alive after death. But, if a person is still alive after death why would it be immoral to commit murder?

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Tagged with: brain • god • immaterial • mental • Morality • ontology • physical • soul • spatial • split brain

Atheism Offers Nothing?

On October 3, 2009, In Afterlife, Atheism, Misconceptions About Atheism, Religious Arguments, By The Armchair Antichrist

I have heard some theists make this statement and it’s supposed to mean something to them. Yes, on face value atheism does not offer you anything religion does. It does not give you a sky daddy to fall back on emotionally, it will not give you any warm and cuddly feelings, you won’t get any hallucinations or inspiring visions in your dreams, and it does not promise a wonderful afterlife. Atheism does not offer you an appeal to emotion, it offers you the real world as it is.

What atheism does offer is the truth. And this truth is not sugar coated or embellished in any way. This truth is the supreme good Socrates talked about which should be desired in and of itself. Even with all of Jesus’ emphasis on truth and logos it seems to me that Christians don’t really care about discovering the truth, especially when it may contradict their beliefs. That is in direct contrast with science. The key to science is falsifiability which means that scientists always try to find ways to correct their theories and make them better.

Science has no room for the supernatural and thus has no room for the soul and the afterlife. Basically, when you die it is the end of the line and it is permanent (apart from future cryonics). Because we have only one life to live that what makes it very special. If we actually had an infinite life to look forward to after we die then our mortal life would have absolutely no meaning or value. I have explained this in a previous post titled Meaning in Life.

I will conclude with a short quote that summarizes my point very well:

“The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.”

— George Bernard Shaw

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