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Life and death

Life and Death; The Soul

Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• distinctions between body and soul, as expressed in the thinking of Plato, Aristotle,

John Hick and Richard Dawkins;

• other concepts of the body/soul distinction;

• different views of life after death: resurrection and reincarnation;

• questions surrounding the nature of disembodied existence;

• the relationship between the afterlife and the problem of evil.

Candidates should be able to discuss these areas critically and their strengths and weaknesses.

(This list above is from the OCR Spec)

Life after Death

• Distinctions between body and soul in the thinking of Plato, John Hick and Richard Dawkins; other concepts of body/ soul distinction.

Death

• “The complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions”

Dualism

‘Two’ separate body and soul

• Mind determines our personality, the body an outer shell

• Body contingent, mind associated with higher realities

• If soul spends life in contemplation of higher realities at death can enter eternity- the immortality of the soul.

Plato

• Believed the body and soul interact.

• Real identity lies in the soul.

Descartes

• “I think therefore I am”

• Mind distinct although the 2 interact

• Mind is not the same as the brain- it is not in the body

Materialism

Does not accept separate part of the body called the soul

• Individual is a physical body and nothing more

• Death is when the whole person dies- nothing ceases to exist

• Actions as a result of a chain of events.

• Science will eventually be able to explain everything

• What we assume to be an emotional response is just chemical reactions in the brain.

Gilbert Ryle

• Mistake in Language making the soul a separate word

• Eg Foreigner ‘Where is the team spirit?”

Richard Dawkins Rejects any concept of an immortal soul

• Human animal is nothing more than DNA

• Each individual is a product of evolution- not God

• Our sense of individuality is as a result of our genes

• Through evolution our consciousness has developed so that we are able to choose to behaviour most likely to aid survival (survival of the fittest)

Hard Materialism- Nothing more than physical characteristics

Soft Materialism- Consciousness is more than JUST a brain process. Body displays inner emotions.

John Hick- Given certain circumstances it is possible the dead could exist after death. If an EXACT REPLICA was to appear. God is all powerful and thus would find it easy to create an exact copy. Replica has memories and characteristics of original so thus is the same one.

CRITICISM

• God? Replica is not the original?

Idealism

Bishop Berkeley

• No concept of matter, only mental ideas and minds to perceive them.

• There is no physical body to decay at death

• At death we travel to the next world in this spiritual form

• We still keep our identity however in death

George Hegel

• Agreed with Kant, we never experience the world directly through our sense

• Human mind imposes order on all experiences

• Minds are not ultimately real

CRITICISM

• No evidence

• Wouldn’t everyone have different perceptions?

• Seems more order in the world

Different views on life after death, resurrection and rebirth, the relative coherence of these concepts and the implications for the problem of evil on these views, questions surrounding the nature of a disembodied experience and the concepts of heaven and hell.

Reincarnation / or Rebirth

The soul at death migrates from the dying body into a new body (also referred to as transmigration of souls)

Each lifetime a soul is trying to reach perfection when it reaches this= soul reborn and enter a state of bliss.

Similar to the Buddhist theory of Karma (doesn’t involve souls)

Understanding of why suffering occurs in life- to aid in this growth.

Resurrection

The belief that after death it is not just an individuals soul that survives but the body also. The individual is raised from the dead in bodily form.

Similar to Christian understanding- St Paul in Corinthians, Jesus rose from Dead- seen outside tomb.

Does it occur in physical or spiritual form?

Problem of Evil to Theories of Life after Death

Not a problem in relation to Resurrection and Reincarnation- need evil to help us grow and reach perfection.

Many reject this view in Resurrection and except theodicies. Surely God could have a better way of making us grow.

Questions of a disembodied experience

Problems of personal identity Do not accept replica body is the same ‘I’ that died.

Which one of these is true:

1. First I existed, then I died, then I existed in the next world

2. First I existed, then I died, then God created an exact replica of me.

Is our identity only as a result of memories and actions in the mind?

Evidence for existence after death

1. .Near death experiences

2. Regression into past life through hypnosis

3. Sightings of Dead People – Deepak Chopra

4. Spiritualism- belief we can communicate with dead through a medium. Medium receives messages from those in the spiritual world and passes onto the next.

Concepts of Heaven and Hell

Most Christians believe in the resurrection of the body after death. Immortal soul continues after death.

Soul

God breathed life into humans

“breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 3)

Physical or spiritual resurrection? How are we identified in next life?

Believe in heaven and hell because they believe in salvation, some reward or punishment after death for the life lived.

Beliefs of what occurs after death: soul remains close to earth (lovely bones), descends/ ascends to heaven or hell, participation in general resurrection.

Only way to accept human suffering on earth is the belief in life after death- heaven or hell.

A physical body is required if we are to take the Bible Passages on Hell literally “and shall cast the body into a furnace of fire” Hell is the absence of God, darkness, suffering

Liberal Christians place little emphasis on salvation.

Reject hell- if do accept believe it metaphorically- it is an absence of God, or a state of mind

Heaven is a place of love and benevolence with God.

In the light

‘Maker of heaven and earth’

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