One theme in this chapter is the degree to which we can correlate thinking, emot
ID: 347573 • Letter: O
Question
One theme in this chapter is the degree to which we can correlate thinking, emotions, the will, memory, personality, even spiritual experiences to particular regions of the brain. Alzheimer’s disease and physical accidents can fundamentally change all of these faculties, showing a strong connection between our brains and these functions that since Descartes have often been attributed to the soul. In this light, what role do you think the soul might play in human personhood? Do you think belief in a detachable soul is an essential Christian belief? What do you believe about the resurrection of our bodies and how would you relate this event to the human soul?
What aspects of the way you think about yourself and others around you come from your cultural and family background? How distinct would you say your sense of yourself is from that of those around you? Take into consideration the fact that we can also create ourselves as a kind of “anti-self” to those around us; here our context is still creating us, only in reverse. What legitimate role, if any, might stereotyping or prejudging play in our sense of ourselves and others?
What do you make of existentialism? To what extent would you say this movement that emphasized choice influenced the spirit of the late twentieth century—or is existentialism itself a reflection of a broader zeitgeist? To what extent would you say that contemporary atheists are aware or unaware of the meaninglessness and nonexistence of moral norms that seem to follow logically from their position?
What do you make of the shifts that flowed inadvertently from Descartes’s “Copernican revolution” in which he turned the focus of truth from “out there” to inside our heads? Do you think the impact of this inward turn can be avoided, once the issue of certainty is questioned? Do some research on the many voices out there that currently decry Descartes.
How do you think you would live, act, even vote differently if you took this as your fundamental conception of the human person: someone created in the image of God, a neighbor whom God expects you to honor, respect, and love, whether near or far?
Explanation / Answer
The body is a complete lump of skin, bones and muscles and few feel that is more than that. The complete essence of personhood is the body. There are few people who believe in souls or minds. souls are the important force which serves as immaterial and it is the mind or psychological essence of how a person is made. The psychological essence is importantly the cluster of essential psychological traits which makes a personality of a person. This can be sense of humor, their personality and the immaterial force is included behind the thinking process. The invisible force lets a person desire things and perform mental tasks. It is either the psychological essence and their soul. There is an important part played by the body for developing the psychological side of the person.
Christianity has an important belief of immortality of soul and it is considered as detachable. The purpose of Christianity and the main teaching is to prepare for after the life on earth. The soul is considered detachable which goes to heaven or hell later.
According to Paul it is mentioned according to the metamorphosed (1 Corinthians 15:51) that the bodies will be imperishable, immortal and powerful with resurrection.
The change is compared to the sprouting of the seed according to verse 37.
There is continuity and change. Here the body will be raised and there will be newer qualities. The body will be characterized by the soul and the bodies will be redeemed. The essence of the soul will remain.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.