materialism (philosphers and criticism)

What is the idea of the soul according to Richard Dawkins?

The “soul” is a mythological concept

“Not an explanation but an evasion”

What does Richard Dawkins think the idea of a soul will be replaced by?

A scientific explanation.

What type of Soul does Richard Dawkins accept?

Using soul metaphorically.

What is Soul 1 according to Dawkins?

The traditional idea of a principle of life; a separate thing that contains our personality, the real person.

What is Soul 2 according to Dawkins?

“ intellectual or spiritual power, high development of mental faculties” This is a meaningful way of speaking- provided we are clear that is not a separate thing from the Brain.

what does Gilbert Ryle think problems of the soul stem from?

Thinking of the soul as a “thing” that is either physical or non- physical

What does Gilbert Ryle call Descartes dualism?

“The dogma of the ghost in the machine”

What type of mistake is the idea of the soul?

A categorical mistake- we are thinking about the mind in the wrong way.

What is the significance of Gilbert Ryles university example?

We shouldn’t assume that there is anything more than just the physical university buildings.

What does Susan Blackmore argue in her “The meme machine”

• Evolution can be explained through genes so the contents of out minds can be explained by “memes”- cultural ideas that stick on the path ways of our brain and are to some extent passed down through evolution

What is a category Mistake?

A problem in philosophy where something is thought and talked about in the wrong way, it belongs in a different category

What is Ockham Razor?

It is best to take the simplest explanation.

What are the 4 arguments for materialism ?

1. Neuroscience- great progress in understanding the brain- our consciousness is affected by brain chemistry- Dawkins believes we will be able to identify all mental processes with the brain.

2. The problem of interaction- how can the non physical mind interact with a physical body/brain- incompatible substances Eg How can a ghost ride a bicycle ?

3. Category error- The belief that there is a separate soul is a category error according to Gilbert Ryle.- example of the university

4. Simplicity- Consciousness can be explained by physical and material events in the brain- simplest explanation- Ockhams razor- you should not multiply entities beyond necessity. - Take the simplest explanation

What do dualists argue about knowledge ?

No matter how much knowledge we acquire of brains- this is knowledge from the outside and cannot be solved by a third person as consciousness is a first hand phenomenon.

What did the soul try to explain according to Dawkins?

a convenient explanation to personality and consciousness