Evaluate the claim that the soul is distinct from the body

Points I would include to answer this question,  I like this layout but instead of advantages and disadvantages my sides will be FOR and AGAINST

religious studies:- philosophy of religion - ocr - June 2011 

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Evaluate the claim that the soul is distinct from the body

Advantages

  • The belief that the soul is distinct from the body is a belief in dualism which is followed by such philosophers as Descartes and Plato
  • Plato believed that the soul was simple and gave us our knowledge, it is how we are able to understand the forms such as beauty, the soul is eternal and it cannot change, when we die the soul lives on
  • Descartes' believed that you could doubt almost anything, you could doubt your bodies existence but you couldn't doubt 'I' exist as that involved thinking and the thinking process cannot be doubted and thinking must come from our soul - we are more than just a body

Disadvantages

  • Geach rejects Plato's distinction as he questions how the soul is able to have knowledge of the forms when the body gives the soul its sight and senses
  • Ryle however criticised Descartes due to him believing that the soul was a category mistake. E.g a tourist is shown around Oxford university, he sees the colleges, library and meets the lecturers and afterwards asks where is the university - he is mistaken by thinking it is something additional alike the soul
  • Aristotle rejects the soul being distinct from the body as he was a materialist, he believed that our souls do not live on due to the fact we are body and soul, if the body is an axe the soul would be its ability to chop, although Aristotle does say it is possible intellectual thought may be able to live on.. (kenny saw his argument as inconsistent)
  • John Hicks argument of the replica theory can be used to describe resurrection that there may be life after death but the body and soul cannot be separated, instead resurrected into a new world
  • (Views of Dawkins can also be used)

Evaluation

To offer a conclusion, it may be incorrect to suggest that the soul is distinct from the body. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that we do have a soul, such as the feeling of love rather than a category mistake but our souls may be resurrected with our bodies instead of separated at death. There is a stronger defence towards materialism and monism as Plato and Descartes arguments are not strong enough to overcome the criticisms.

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