Philosophy: The Soul Theory
Directions: Write two essays:
1. The first answering Essay Question #1 or Essay Question #2 (but not both)
2. The second answering Essay Question #3 or Essay Question #4 (but not both)
Each answer is to be done in a separate Microsoft Word Document. Attach the completed document to the appropriate Safe Assignment on Blackboard.
Essay #1
What are the three views of identity that Hobbes discusses? (Be sure to explain the views in detail with examples). What is Hobbes Ship of Theseus Paradox? What problem does it pose for the identity of the ship? What is Hobbes fourth view if identity which account for personal identity? Is his view of personal identity inconsistent with his materialist view that people are just physical objects? Explain why or why not.
Essay #2
What is the Soul Theory? How does it account for personal identity? Why does Sider think that this theory is not plausible today? Why is/isn’t his argument against the Soul Theory a good one? What are Descartes arguments for the existence of the soul or mind? Why are they/are they not successful?
Essay #3
What are the two versions of the cosmological argument that are suggested in part 9 of David Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion? Why these arguments are initially plausible? (Explain in detail). What are the objections to each version of the argument?
Essay #4
What is the analogy that is used in the Argument from Design (the Teleological Argument) presented in Part 2 of David Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion? Is it a good analogy? Present and explain the argument that is proposed there. Be sure to explain the premises and why they are plausible. What are the objections to this argument? Are they good objections? Explain.
Caution: Your answer will be checked for plagiarism by Blackboard. If you copy it from the internet or someone else’s work, you will receive and “F” for the questions and possibly an “F” for the entire exam or the course.
Student:
Professor:
Course title:
Date:
Philosophy
Essay #2
The Soul Theory is the theory which asserts that: Y is the same individual as X if and only if Y has similar soul as individual X. It accounts for personal identity by maintaining that individual Y and X are one and the same individual, if and only if their soul is the same. Sider thinks that this theory is not plausible today because he thinks that there is no good reason or there is no rationale that makes one to believe that souls since: (i) it is unnecessary to assume that souls provide the explanation for the psychology of humans; and (ii) those who believe in the Soul Theory cannot explain how souls think. Sider argues that because souls do not have smaller components, a mechanical explanation is therefore not possible. Sider’s argument against the Soul Theory is not a good one because he does not believe that souls exist. It is of note that souls actually exist and a soul is actually understood to be something that is immaterial – it cannot be smelled, touched, heard or seen – and is not affected by the death of the body.
Descartes believes in the existence of soul and has several arguments for the existence of the soul or mind is that. He uses the word res cogitans which is Latin in describing the mind or soul, and the term translates as the thinking thing. Descartes defines mind as a thinking thing, and he maintains that the mind has no shape, color, weight, or mass and it is non-tangible, non-physical and is also nonmaterial. His position is often referred to as substance dualism since his definition of the mind is that it is a kind of thing, instead of just a function or an activity. The fundamental claim of Mind-Body Dualism is that people are 2 separate substances. According to Descartes, not every substance is physical; the mind is a non-physical substance whilst the body is a physical substance. He holds the belief that the body and mind are connected in some way though in a mysterious way. His argument for body-mind dualism, the cogito argument is: Premise: I think; Conclusion: Therefore, I exist. His arguments are successful because the premise is referring to the mind which is non-physical; everyone has immediate proof that her mind or his mind exists. The premise is followed by the conclusion, thus the argument is valid. The argument proves that anyone who has the ability to think, then he/she must have a mind. His other argument is that: 1st premise: if the substance is physical, it could be physically split; 2nd premise: the human mind cannot be split physically; conclusion: thus, the mind is a non-physical su...