I was always the person who brought down a good conversation by bringing up these topics, because I have always been conflicted.
Why I have a soul-- I gotta go with Descartes on this one and say I am because I am... because I feel, and think, and know that whatever the conditions of the external world, I am real. More than that, I would say I am and will always be. My soul is eternal-- I have always existed because there has never been a time in the past I knew of non aware; I will always be because it is impossible for me to think of a time when I am not aware. A true obliteration in both these instances is a paradox. For me to imagine/reason about non awareness, I must be aware.
Why I do not have a soul-- I go to sleep every night, and while I remember dreams here and then, there are definitely large chunks of my life that cannot be accounted for-- the few memories I have during and afterwards, I owe to the continuation of physical life, that my brain has remained intact, that my organs continue to operate. I am no more special than any organism on this planet. Would a bat think of his sonar as eternal, would a dog define himself as his sense of smell? Why then, if for whatever sociological or logistical reason awareness has evolved in my ancestors, would I feel it more special than any other form of sensory perception. A blind person is blind because his eyes are damaged or he cannot carry visual information to the brain any longer. I deaf person is deaf because of a defect of the organs in the ear. A dead person is dead because he lacks the necessary tools to keep him alive. More often then not, the simplest explanation for an event if the correct interpretation. When a person dies, there is no indication of soul or continuance-- it is just plain death.
I always love to think about new ideas so please share your thoughts
Why I have a soul-- I gotta go with Descartes on this one and say I am because I am... because I feel, and think, and know that whatever the conditions of the external world, I am real. More than that, I would say I am and will always be. My soul is eternal-- I have always existed because there has never been a time in the past I knew of non aware; I will always be because it is impossible for me to think of a time when I am not aware. A true obliteration in both these instances is a paradox. For me to imagine/reason about non awareness, I must be aware.
Why I do not have a soul-- I go to sleep every night, and while I remember dreams here and then, there are definitely large chunks of my life that cannot be accounted for-- the few memories I have during and afterwards, I owe to the continuation of physical life, that my brain has remained intact, that my organs continue to operate. I am no more special than any organism on this planet. Would a bat think of his sonar as eternal, would a dog define himself as his sense of smell? Why then, if for whatever sociological or logistical reason awareness has evolved in my ancestors, would I feel it more special than any other form of sensory perception. A blind person is blind because his eyes are damaged or he cannot carry visual information to the brain any longer. I deaf person is deaf because of a defect of the organs in the ear. A dead person is dead because he lacks the necessary tools to keep him alive. More often then not, the simplest explanation for an event if the correct interpretation. When a person dies, there is no indication of soul or continuance-- it is just plain death.
I always love to think about new ideas so please share your thoughts
