soul being saved?

Philosophy Forums Religion and Spirituality
81

So you will talk the theist into using the word ‘mind’ instead of ‘soul’.

But mind/body dualism still exists for him. And you?

82

I didn’t know the existence of something depended on the subject. Guess I’ll just conjure myself some more pancakes with nutella, I’m running out and am still hungry. I have 2 and 1 pancakes left, if I really wish for 2 and 1 to become 7 instead of 3 I can make it happen, it obviously depends on my subjective opinion!

83

I’m still satisfied with energy/consciousness.

84

What?

Let me give you a 21st century example to think about :

A computer can be thought of as hardware and software.

Very similar to body and mind … is it not?

85

Non-organic though.

86

So what?

Let’s say that a person is a biological machine. No God. You can think about that person as body and mind.

87

Mind is not “soul”. They are like comparing chalk and cheese.
And their is not necessary dualism.

88

Software is not immortal, and is not immaterial; it does not go to heaven or hell.

QED “mind” is not a replacement for “soul”

89

Dualism is a convenient way of thinking about persons.

90

I agree with the comparison, but the body (hardware) and mind (software) aren’t different substances existing independent of each other. In fact, what we call software is merely a part of hardware, our monitor screen. And what we call a mind is really the physical brain. It’s just easier to comprehend it and communicate by making an artificial distinction.

91

You store the software on a disk. You load it on the hardware which does nothing without software.

The software makes the hardware display something specific on the screen.

It’s exactly analogous to computer software.

Distinctions are useful.

92

The soul is not the spirit.
The spirit is the software in action, the behavior.

93

Hardware can exist without software. There is no software (it can’t exist) without hardware.

A part of hardware makes another part of hardware display something specific on screen.

94

Do you speak of matter and energy?
Or do you say that there is no energy and only matter?

Spirit = energy/behavior
Body = matter

95

An analogy is only as good as its comparison. The above exchange has nothing to do with “soul”. Software is not written by god, and does not predate and post date the hardware for which it would have to be utterly specifically designed.
Software is not rewarded for it good behaviour, nor punished for bad.

96

And what it is displaying on my screen is stunning ignorance on this subject (with the exception of phyllo).

97

](*,)

It doesn’t need to be the same in every way.
Neural networks. Artificial intelligence. What about Watson?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watson_%28computer%29

98

We basically are machines, just bio-organic machines. I thought about that a long time ago. I don’t get why you say “No god” as if there was any proof of such in the first place.

We don’t need to say it, we are it already.

99

I say ‘no God’ to keep it simple and on track. As soon as someone says ‘soul’ or ‘mind/body duality’,right away people pop out who bring in heaven, hell, reward, punishment, good, evil, afterlife.

You can talk about mind/body duality without any religious connotations.

100

I agree. I just find energy somewhat important because when you’re around people, sometimes you can feel their presence, negative, positive, sad, happy, etc. Depending on the people I guess.