Different in degree or kind; language (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, December 31, 2014, 00:38 (3405 days ago) @ dhw


> DAVID: From vj Torley, the theistic philosopher:
> "On the Thomistic account, every human being is a unity. An organism's soul is simply its underlying principle of unity. The human soul, with its ability to reason, does not distinguish us from animals; it distinguishes us as animals. The unity of a human being's actions is actually deeper and stronger than that underlying the acts of a non-rational animal: 
> 
> If we are animals whose souls have a deeper, stronger “unity” than those of our fellow animals, it sounds as if he's talking about difference in degree, not kind. May I assume you believe that animals have souls?-Yes, animals in the Jewish religion have souls, in Hebrew 'Nefesh'-> dhw: It might perhaps be better if you explain your line of thought in your own words. Perhaps I could start by asking if you are a substance dualist (= the mind/soul is separate from the body/brain and can exist independently of it) or a property dualist (= mind/soul and body/brain are one, though they produce two “properties” - mental and physical)? The latter precludes survival of the “soul” after death.-I am a substance dualist. The NDE's prove that for me. I feel I have soul, in Hebrew a 'Neshama'. The Jewish religion depicts the human soul at a much higher plane than the animal soul, simple versus very complex. And I believe in an afterlife.