Life after Death Tips on remembering the important stuff
‘Embodied life post-mortem is self- contradictory.’ Discuss • Embodied life post-mortem • Self-contradictory
Platonic dualism • AV\Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (3_10) Movie CLIP - I Totally Possessed My Dad (1991) HD.mp4 • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux- wYKpgkgY
The relationship between the body and soul The body is the source of endless trouble to us by reason of the mere requirement of food; and is liable also to diseases which overtake and impede us in the search after the true being: it fills us full of loves, and lusts, and fears, and fancies of all kinds, and endless foolery, and in fact, as men say, takes away all power of thinking.
is for Psyche • Plato identified three distinct elements of the psyche: Reason – in the mind – Emotion – in the breast – Appetite – in the abdomen – • Plato said the psyche was like a charioteer : The driver = reason – The horses = emotion and appetite – Link this to Plato’s view of society • governed by the philosopher king.
is for Legend of Er • In the legend, Er dies in battle and then witnesses the transmigration of the souls for the dead. • The soul distinct from the body making the body just a vehicle for the soul.
is for Affinity • The distinction between soul and body is that between the material and immaterial. The example of a tree and the idea of a tree. • Note: Cebes suggestion that the soul was like the music of a harp was a challenge to Plato.
is for Theory of FORMS • Plato’s argument for the theory of FORMS applies here. Our knowledge is recollection of what we knew in the world of FORMS. • Note: all challenges to the Theory of FORMS can be used to challenge Platonic Dualism.
is for Opposites • Heraclitus argued that the Logos kept balance between two extremes, e.g. hot and cold. • Plato argued that life is the opposite of death.
Platonic dualism P syche: made up of the tripartite of the soul (Charioteer, white horse and black horse). L egend of Er illustrating transmigration of the soul. A ffinity between the material and immaterial. T heory of Forms (include Recollection) O pposites (heavy/light, light/dark, life/death)
Dr Ian Stevenson • Stevenson spent forty years socumenting past life memories of children from all over the world. He has over 3000 cases in his files. • Dr. Stevenson is a medical doctor with many scholarly papers to his credit. He is the former head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia, and now is Director of the Division of Personality Studies at the University of Virginia. • Twenty cases suggestive of reincarnation , page 67-91: Sweet Swarnlata’s story.
Aristotelian Monism • AV\Pinocchio 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition - Be A Real Boy.mp4 • https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=F_M95CWviH4&safe=active
A is for A ctuality and Potentiality • First potentiality – Having the ability in theory, e.g. I do not speak French but I have the natural faculties to. I do not have the potential to breath unaided under water. Second potentiality/first actuality • – Having the ability in practice, but not exercising the ability, e.g. I can make tortellini, but I’m not doing it right now. • Second actuality – Having the ability to do something and actually doing it, e.g. I can and am talking about philosophy.
R is for R ational Soul • Reason is the highest virtue. • It helps us to discern our Final Cause and live a good life. • Link to Virtue Ethics. • This life is the only life that matters.
I is for I nseperable: Hylomorphic soul/body unity • The body and soul are NOT distinct, they are unified into one thing.
S is for S tamp/Wax analogy • The essence of the wax stamp is to bear a seal to close and mark a letter/document. This is its purpose, its reason • for being. It is dictated by the EFFICIENT and can only fulfil its function with the correct MATTER and when it is pressed into the correct FORM. Its soul is then the purpose/ • essence of the stamp.
T is for T elos: the Final Cause Everything is made of some MATTER into some FORM by some EFFICIENT cause/ causes with some FINAL cause or PURPOSE . Use a classical example for the Four Causes �
O is for O n the Soul/ De Anima ‘The soul is in some sense the principle of animal life.’ ‘To attain any assured knowledge of the soul is one of the most difficult things in the world.’
T is for T ranscendent The Prime Mover is outside • our time and space. It is the efficient cause of all • things and there is no life without it. Anthony Kenny points out that • Aristotle's ideas of life after death are unclear. The Prime Mover certainly exists after our deaths.
L is for L evels of Psyche 1. Nutrition the ability to acquire and use food. 2. Desire the drives of passion , sensation etc. 3. Perception the ability to sense the world. 4. Locomotion the ability to move and interact with the world. 5. Intelligence the ability to reason .
Synoptic link with Boethius The nature of knowledge lies not in the object itself but in the knower. Sensory Imaginative Rational Intellectual Feeling, Imagining it Knowing Perfect seeing without about it and knowledge etc seeing it its of it – the application, Form of the other sphere examples etc.
E is for E ye …Seeing …Cutting
Aristotelian Monism • A ctuality and Potentiality: The activity of the soul driving the Body R ational soul: The soul in humans is the reason, not a • separate thing. I nseparable: Hylomorphic Soul, there is no separate entity • S tamp: Wax Stamp (Matter and Form) • T elos: The Final Cause of all things, their soul • • O n The Soul/De Anima, where Aristotle’s writing appears • T ranscendent: The only immortality for Aristotle is the Prime Mover’s Transcendence. • L evels of psyche: Nutrition, Desire, Perception, Locomotion, Intelligence E ye: the soul is seeing, for the axe it is chopping. •
Christian Resurrection
alvin • Calvin : all people are predestined for Heaven OR Hell. Book of Apocalypse • Augustine : Salvation cannot be attained without God’s intervention (e.g. St Paul Acts 9:1-19 and Moses Exodus 3 )
ick Replica Theory Inspired by the appearances of Jesus after his death. These were bodily appearances. Note Jesus on the road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-35
esurrection • Jesus’ resurrection was bodily, he appeared to Thomas and showed him his hands and side. John 20:24-29 • When Jesus quarrelled with the Sadducees he argued that life after death was nothing like life on earth: ‘You will be like angels’ Mark 12:18-27
slam • I slam: similarities between Christian LAD and Islamic LAD. • Particular Judgement. Punishment for the wicked and rewards for the good.
heep and the goats Jesus told his parable of the Last Judgement. Matthew 25: 31-46 All nations will be divided as sheep from goats. The sheep will go to heaven and the goats to hell.
he nature of God God is classically revealed as omnipotent. Can an omnipotent God condemn anyone to hell? Can a just God save everyone?
Christian Resurrection C alvin: The argument for Predestination and Divine Election H ick: Replica theory R esurrection: bodily/spiritual, at point of death or on the Last Day? I slam: similarities between Christian LAD and Islamic LAD. S heep and Goats/Last Judgement parable T he Nature of God
Materialism
M onism • Monism is the belief that we are a hylomorphic body and soul unity.
A nthony Flew • We are physical human beings and mortal and so we cannot survive death.
T heory of Replication • John Hick’s theory. • You are defined by your memories and characters.
E udaimonia • Your purpose is living the good life. • Your happiest moment is moments before death. • Aristotle challenges Plato’s dualism.
R ussell’s River • Bertrand Russell said that we are like a river. Once the water is gone, what is there left?
I dentity Theory • You are your brain activity. • When the brain dies, you are no more.
A ssociation between lives • Peter Geach said it makes no sense to talk about reincarnation. • If there is no causal relationship between lives there is no relationship at all.
L ock’s Prince • John Lock gave the example of the Prince and the Cobbler who woke in each other’s bodies. • You are your consciousness.
Materialism M onism A nthony Flew T heory of Replication E udaimonia R ussell’s River I dentity Theory A ssociation between Lives L ock’s Prince
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