L6

• Immortal, non-corporeal essence of man

  The spirit
• Religions that believe man has a soul

  • Monotheistic religions (Judaism, Islam & Christianity)
  • Other religions (Jainism & Hinduism)
  • Animalistic religion (Shintoism)
• Embodied cognition


  Man is able to perceive and experience reality through physical body
• Enactivism

  Cognition arises through the interaction between an organism and its environment
• Embodiment


  The physical body
• Upon the body's demise, the spirit continues to persist into the afterlife
• The spirit is an essential element for the salvation of mankind as the departed spirits will be raised from the dead during the end times and shall receive the judgment of God
• Mind-body problem


  It considers the question of how the mental or nonphysical are able to interact with the physical body, and to what extent one influences the other
• Physicalism

  Believes that physical processes determine the state of mind
• Idealism


  Holds that mental processes and thoughts are the only reality
• Monism


  States that everything in this world is made of the same basic substance or is connected in one fundamental way
• The spiritual aspect of human existence is a vital component of religious belief
• Theology


  The study of God and other religious concepts
• Theologists discuss the nature of God and use philosophical tools to define and understand the concept of divinity and religion
• God


  The supreme being which governs all existence, and the center of faith and devotion of a religion
• Theism


  The belief in the existence of a God or several deities
• Christians believe in a single God (monotheism)
• Characteristics of the Christian God

  • Omniscience - God is all-knowing
  • Omnipotence - God is all-powerful
  • Omnipresence - God is ever-present
  • Benevolence - God is perfectly good, just and all-loving
  • Divine simplicity - All attributes are integrated and embodied by him. God is not just "good"; he is goodness himself
  • Eternal - God is timeless and has no beginning and end
• Ontological argument


  Contends that since man is a rational being who is able to conceive the notion of a supreme being, then it holds to reason that such supreme being exists
• Teleological argument


  Focuses on the purpose a God would play in the universe. It argues that a supreme being is necessary for the continued existence of an orderly but complex universe
• Cosmological argument


  Takes into account the nature of existence and the universe and recognizes the existence of God as an explanation of how things came to being in our reality
• Moral argument


  Holds that man's ethical nature is brought about by the existence of God. God is the representation of the greatest ideal, and it is from him all standards of goodness are based
• Immanence


  Regards God as manifesting himself in the world as a unique identity.

  Focal point, person,
• Transcendence


  Depicts God as existing outside the material world, and whose presence is beyond physical laws and even human knowledge and understanding
• Panentheistic view


  States that God is both beyond and within the universe
• Pantheistic view


  Holds that God is an all-encompassing presence in the universe and has no distinct presence as an entity
• Pandeistic view


  Contends that God was a distinct entity but lost this state when he transformed himself into the universe
• Human life is essentially a relationship with the spiritual and the divine. Religion plays an important part in defining human life and the actions of people
• Whatever religious creed a person professes, one maintains a relationship with the divine through belief and adherence to certain doctrines and traditions, the performance of meaningful rituals, and ethical behavior