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The Soul Hypothesis: Investigations into the Existence of the Soul
What do we mean when we speak about the soul? What are the arguments for the existence of the soul as distinct from the physical body? Do animals have souls? What is the difference between the mind and the soul? The Soul Hypothesis brings together experts from philosophy, linguistics and science to discuss the validity of these questions in the modern world.
They contend that there is an aspect of the nature of human beings that is not reducible to the matter that makes up our bodies. This perspective is part of a family of views traditionally classified in philosophy as substance dualism, and has something serious in common with the ubiquitous human belief in the soul.
The Soul Hypothesis presents views from a range of sciences and the resulting big picture shows, more clearly than could a single author with one area of expertise, that there is room for a soul hypothesis.
They contend that there is an aspect of the nature of human beings that is not reducible to the matter that makes up our bodies. This perspective is part of a family of views traditionally classified in philosophy as substance dualism, and has something serious in common with the ubiquitous human belief in the soul.
The Soul Hypothesis presents views from a range of sciences and the resulting big picture shows, more clearly than could a single author with one area of expertise, that there is room for a soul hypothesis.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 30, 2012
While I believe the soul exists from other lines of reasoning the line of reasoning in this book is not convincing. It is essentially the same old mostly philosophical arguments with half understood physics and neuroscience.
I had high hopes for the chapter entitled "Energy of the Soul" by Robin Collins which tries to claim that just because General Relativity Theory does not make a comprehensive claim for energy conservation in regards to gravity that the whole idea in regards to energy conservation can be abandoned. This is not the case for particle interactions that do not involve the gravity force. Amazingly this author does not mention dark energy which due to a proportionality constant in the General Relativity equations is expanding the universe at an ever increasing rate. The more space that exists the more energy is created. This is a huge violation of the classical conservation of energy law.
I had high hopes for the chapter entitled "Energy of the Soul" by Robin Collins which tries to claim that just because General Relativity Theory does not make a comprehensive claim for energy conservation in regards to gravity that the whole idea in regards to energy conservation can be abandoned. This is not the case for particle interactions that do not involve the gravity force. Amazingly this author does not mention dark energy which due to a proportionality constant in the General Relativity equations is expanding the universe at an ever increasing rate. The more space that exists the more energy is created. This is a huge violation of the classical conservation of energy law.
July 26, 2019
An excellent treatment of an important topic, with a broad range of dualistic views presented.
July 27, 2015
The chapters on why physicalism (materialist monism) is incomplete are clear and convincing. Meanwhile, the chapters on physics are too speculative to be taken seriously. The section on emergent dualism is perhaps the most satisfying (perhaps because that is my own ontological view). Overall this is an uneven book that at times takes itself too seriously.
July 1, 2017
This book looks for scientific evidence & theory that might be evidence for the existence of the human soul, and in this sense it is a rare find with some fascinating insights - but it is hard work to read.
It is written from a scientific perspective and is 'pro' the soul, but despite the efforts of its contributors through a series of essays, I found it very dry and in some places, quite obscure in its notions.
Yet some of the essays were pitched at a good level for the general reader - in particular, providing medical evidence to support such beliefs.
It is written from a scientific perspective and is 'pro' the soul, but despite the efforts of its contributors through a series of essays, I found it very dry and in some places, quite obscure in its notions.
Yet some of the essays were pitched at a good level for the general reader - in particular, providing medical evidence to support such beliefs.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews