Soul, Mind & Body

• What are the two versions of the summary revision notes for the Mind, Body & Soul topic?

  A*-A grade and B-C grade summary notes
• What is Plato's view of the soul?

  • Plato is a dualist, believing the mind/soul and body are different.
  • He thinks the world of forms is the real world, while the physical world is not.
  • We are fundamentally souls, not bodies.
• What is Plato's argument from recollection?

  It suggests we have ideas of perfect things from the world of forms, which our souls knew before birth.
• How does Hume counter Plato's argument from recollection?

  Hume claims we can invent the idea of perfection by imagining it without imperfection from our experiences.
• What is the significance of Ockham's razor in evaluating Hume's theory?

  • Ockham's razor suggests we should accept the simplest explanation.
  • Hume's theory is simpler than Plato's realm of forms hypothesis.
• What is Aristotle's view of the soul?

  • Aristotle rejected Plato's idea of forms existing in another world.
  • He believed the soul is the formal cause of the body.
  • For humans, the soul provides rational thought.
• What analogy does Aristotle use to explain the relationship between the soul and the body?

  The stamp in wax analogy, where the soul is the imprint and the body is the wax.
• How does modern science critique Aristotle's view of the soul?

  Modern science rejects formal causation, arguing that rational thought is a result of material and efficient causation in brain processes.
• What is the conclusion regarding the belief in a soul based on modern science?


  • Modern science explains much of the world, including brain processes.
  • It suggests there is nothing more to being human than a collection of atoms.
  • There is no justification for belief in a soul.
• What is Descartes' view of the mind and soul?


  • Descartes believed the mind and soul are the same.
  • He was a substance dualist, viewing mind and body as distinct substances.
• What is the Indivisibility argument presented by Descartes?

  It states that physical substance is divisible, while the mind is indivisible, leading to the conclusion that they cannot be identical.
• What criticism did Descartes face regarding the Indivisibility argument?


  Critics argued that the mind can be divided into feelings, thoughts, and memories, misunderstanding Descartes' definition of the mind as consciousness.
• What evidence from split-brain patients challenges Descartes' view?

  Split-brain patients show that dividing the brain can lead to divided mental functions, suggesting the mind is linked to the brain's physical structure.
• What is Descartes' conceivability argument?

  It claims that if one can imagine the mind without the body, then the mind and body must be separate substances.
• What is the masked man fallacy in relation to Descartes' argument?


  It shows that imagining something does not prove its possibility, as one can imagine impossible scenarios, undermining Descartes' claim.
• What is G. Ryle's critique of dualism?

  • Ryle argues that dualism makes a category error.
  • A category error occurs when a concept is treated as belonging to an inappropriate category.
  • Ryle believes the mind is not a 'thing' but a set of dispositions towards behaviors.
• How does Ryle illustrate the concept of a category error?

  He uses the example of someone asking for the color of 'twenty', which is a category error as 'twenty' does not belong to the category of things with color.
• What is Ryle's view on language about the mind?

  • Ryle believes language about the mind is valid only when explained in terms of behavioral dispositions.
  • He rejects the idea of a 'ghost in the machine' as unscientific nonsense.
• What analogy does Ryle make with the brittleness of glass?


  Ryle compares brittleness to the mind, arguing that brittleness is a disposition and not a physical thing, similar to how the mind should be understood.
• What is a critique of Ryle's view on the mind?


  • Ryle's claim that the mind is not a 'thing' seems extreme.
  • Many people intuitively feel that their mind exists as a real thing.
• What is verificationism, and how does it relate to Ryle's views?


  Verificationism argues that concepts are meaningless unless they manifest in observable behavior, influencing Ryle's view of the mind as behavioral dispositions.
• What mistake did Ryle make regarding the concept of the mind?


  He mistakenly thought the mind must be a physical thing.
• What analogy does Ryle use to explain the concept of the mind?


  He compares it to the brittleness of glass.
• How does Ryle relate the concept of brittleness to Descartes' arguments about the mind?


  Ryle argues that brittleness is a disposition, not a physical thing, similar to the mind.
• What is Ryle's conclusion about the mind?


  He concludes that the mind is not a 'thing' but a disposition.
• What is a critique of Ryle's claim about the mind?


  Many people feel that their mind exists as a tangible thing.
• How does Ryle's view relate to verificationism?


  Ryle relies on a verificationist approach that considers discussing the mind scientifically invalid.
• What does Dawkins claim about the soul?


  Dawkins claims there is no scientific evidence for the soul.
• According to Dawkins, what do people create the idea of a soul from?


  People create the idea of a soul out of fear of death.
• How does Dawkins differentiate between the two definitions of the soul?


  He distinguishes between a literal soul that exists and a metaphorical soul referring to human feelings.
• What does Dawkins think about the mind?


  Dawkins thinks the mind is just the brain and nothing more.
• What are the 'easy' and 'hard' problems of consciousness according to David Chalmers?


  The easy problem involves identifying brain processes for mental functions, while the hard problem concerns the nature of consciousness itself.
• What does Chalmers say about neuroscience's progress on the easy problem of consciousness?

  Chalmers states that neuroscience has made progress on the easy problem but has not addressed the hard problem.
• What is a critique of Dawkins' view on consciousness?

  Dawkins is premature in dismissing the possibility of a non-physical aspect of existence.
• What is Plato's view on the relationship between the mind/soul and the body?


  Plato believes the mind/soul and body are different types of existence.
• What is Plato's argument from recollection?


  Plato argues that we have ideas of perfect forms that we must have known before birth.
• What is a critique of Plato's argument from recollection?

  There may be no such thing as perfect goodness, as it varies by culture.
• What is Aristotle's view of the soul?


  Aristotle believes the soul is the form of the body and is not separate from it.
• How does Aristotle use the stamp in wax analogy to explain the soul?


  He compares the body to wax and the soul to the imprint left by a stamp, showing they are not separate entities.
• How do modern scientists view Aristotle's theory of the soul?

  Modern scientists reject Aristotle's theory, viewing the body as merely material structure without 'form.'