Soul, Body and Mind Key Words

Idealism

In philosophy, idealism is the group of metaphysical philosophies that assert that reality, or reality as humans can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial.

The Platonic Forms

ideal concepts according to Plato

Formal Cause

the features, or shape of something that allows it to be identifies

Philosophical Materialism

nothing exists except matter

Philosophical Naturalism

the belief than all phenomena are natural in cause

Hard Materialism

the view that all there is is the material world, even thoughts are material

“ghost in the machine”

a pejorative snipe at substance dualists; this maintained that the soul was somehow and incoherently inhabiting the body and directing it.

Soft Materialism

the view that all there is matter; there can be a distinct part of the body that give purpose or even thought but this dies with the body.

Emergent Materialism

the belief that new property emerged from matter (such as consciousness) as matter (namely the brain) became more complex (typically seen through evolution)

Reductive materialism

otherwise known as identity theory; the view that mental events are identical with physical occurrences in the brain.

Substance Dualism

the belief that the mind and the body exist as two separate and distinct realities.

Property Dualism

there is one substance, matter with 2 properties, the physical and the mental

Dualism

the belief that reality can be divided into two distinct parts, such as physical and non-physical

Rationalism

reason is the chief test and source of knowledge

Empiricism

all knowledge is determined through observation and experience

Soul

the non-physical presence of a person.

Dawkins’ idea of soul 1 and soul 2

(1 is like a traditional religious view; 2 is what animates you and make you distinct in your behaviours but what dies when the body dies.

Mind vs. Brain

are the same? If so how?

Behaviourism

branch of psychology which maintains that all behaviour is determined; especially through genetic and sociological interactions.

Visual binding problem

there is no explanations for how the brain subjectively experiences shape and colour together