Consciousness: Feser on dualism by Descartes (General)

by David Turell , Thursday, February 04, 2021, 15:19 (1170 days ago) @ dhw

QUOTE: “This problem does not arise for the Scholastic conception of soul and body, because, again, it does not regard them as distinct substances in the first place. A human being is one thing, not two, albeit a thing with both corporeal and incorporeal activities. And since it is one thing, the question of interaction does not arise." (dhw’s bold)

DAVID: This fits my view of soul body dualism as two interacting aspects of 'me', one material and one immaterial.

dhw: No it doesn’t. The article could hardly be more emphatic: there is NO interaction between soul and body, because a human being is ONE THING, not two! See the bolds above. This is the compromise that I have been suggesting, though I go one step further: my version is that the material brain produces immaterial thought, emotion etc. (materialism) but the product itself may be (I would emphasize “may”) a form of energy that can exist independently of its original source. Hence NDEs and other psychic experiences.

DAVID: Your interpretation is exactly what my statement says. Material body, immaterial thought which represents my soul, an energy which can become independent after death.

dhw: The article contradicts your view of “two interacting aspects” – body and soul. Hence the points I have bolded. My compromise is that the brain produces immaterial thought etc. – there is no interaction between two distinct entities – but it is possible that the immaterial product may take on its own independent existence in the form of psychic experiences and ultimately life after death, as suggested by NDEs. I didn’t think your own version envisaged the “soul” as the product of the brain, but if it does, then we have agreed on this compromise.

In my version the immaterial soul uses the material brain for thought capacity while alive. So of course there is continuous interaction.