Criticisms of the concept of the soul

• Knowledge does not have to be innate or eternal

  • All knowledge is not rational/ unchanging
  • Knowledge does not have to be a priori and true for all eternity
  • We all know the difference between illusions and reality, however Plato says this is not an option
• What about our senses?

  • The forms are immaterial and it is unclear how they affect what we perceive
  • Hume argues it is logical to be empirical
• Beware of the myth

  • Duncan McDougal (1901)- weighed tuberculosis patients before and at death, lost 21g
  • Concluded that the soul weighs 21g
  • HOWEVER, this has been proven to be incorrect: there is no loss of weight at death
• Modern thinking

  • The body and soul are one
  • Thinking and consciousness are part of the physical reality
  • There is no existence before conception, and no life after death