Life After Death (Lesson 1) Mr. DeZilva Philosophy of Religion Year 13 January 21st, 2014.

The Basics of what You’ll Need

What we will eventually know… Dualism vs. Monism Replica vs. Reincarnation Resurrection vs. Reincarnation Telepathy vs. Psychokinesis Near Death Experience vs. Cryptoamnesia Key Questions What are some pieces of evidence for Life After Death? What are the Philosophical Problems with Life After Death? What are the important similarities and differences between the above concepts? Can these experiences be authenticated? What is the mind/body problem and why is it important? What is the distinction between the soul and the body? How is the Problem of Evil related to Life After Death?

Important People to Consider Plato Aristotle Richard Dawkins John Hick Anthony Flew AJ Ayer Immanuel Kant John Locke Richard Swinburne Keith Ward Other Important Sources: The Bible & Jesus Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic & Sikh Scripture Henry Price (H.H Price) Dr. Rhine Raymond Moody

What is The Soul? Before understanding anything about Life After Death, the term implies that there is a relationship between the physical body and the person (or the essential self). John Locke’s The Prince and a Cobbler story Which person was which? What makes us what we are? Most theist believe that people have souls, even when their minds have been completely destroyed Hindus  The soul is “more real” than the body, the body is a vehicle for the soul Buddhist  No such thing as a soul; simply illusion Christians & Jews  The soul and the body are different aspects of a single entity.

Plato on The Soul 427 BC to 347 BC Made a distinction between the soul and the body (similar to the Form and Physical) The Soul Has the ability to know the truth Can understand the Forms as they really are through reason. Capable of certain knowledge. Unchanging, immortal. Exists after death, as well as pre-existing before birth The Body Can only learn through physical sense experiences Gain knowledge, yet, this is inferior knowledge to that gained by reason. In a constant process of change. Cannot be the object of certain knowledge

Plato on The Soul continued People’s inner, mental life was the most important thing about them. The soul was the “real” part of the person, temporarily attached to a physical body, but immortal. The Tripartite Theory of the Soul Reason Emotion Appetite The soul was a guiding force that helped the body and the mind to work together, and the only way it could do this was with a governance of the tripartite