Materialism

• Materialism 


  The belief that there is "no soul" within the body
• Gilbert Ryle (C20th) - There is no seperate part of a human that is called a soul. Individuals are nothing more than their living, physical body. At death, there is no continued personal existence.
• Richard Dawkins (C21st) - we are "machines made of meat" programmed by DNA. In reality, we are just bodies, it is incorrect to believe that we have a soul
• Scholarly view

  Humans are like computers, the brain (software) programmes the body (hardware) to move, think and feel. It is inappropriate to think that a human has a soul that controls them or contains who they really are
• Scientific Materialism

  Our personality is a result of a scientific chain reaction: emotions, feelings and personality. When the brain dies, so does personal identity and existence. Therefore, our personal identity comes from the brain and not the soul. There is categorically no soul and this is supported by science
• Hard materialists do not believe that there is a soul which is a seperate part of us. Ryle and Dawkins both believe that we as individuals are nothing more than living physical bodies. Dawkins even describes us as 'machines of meat'. Scientific materialists believes that our personality is a result of scientific chain reaction, and personality comes from our brain rather then the soul.