This week’s aims To explain and evaluate Dawkins’ views on life after death To discuss whether belief in life after death helps to solve the problem of evil To review the module content in preparation for a mock exam in January

What you need to know: Ideas about body and soul: Plato Aristotle John Hick Richard Dawkins (Rene Descartes – disembodied existence) Different views about life after death: Resurrection Reincarnation The relationship between the afterlife and the problem of evil

Life and death: key questions Is a ‘person’ a body or a soul/mind? Is there such a thing as a soul/mind? Personal identity How are body and soul/mind connected? Mind/body problem Which part of a person survives death? Is there any evidence of life after death? Life after death

Life and Death, p.73 What is monism? What is dualism? What is materialism?

Key philosophers, p.74 The soul is the real person: ‘The body is the source of endless trouble to us’ The mind could exist without the body: ‘I think therefore I am’ The soul gives the body life but it cannot survive death Resurrection of the body is logically possible: Three scenarios about disappearance / reappearance The feeling of being conscious is produced by processes in the brain

Dawkins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR7e0fmfXGw Materialist DNA survival Humans are physical The mind is the brain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR7e0fmfXGw

Criticisms of Dawkins Is Dawkins criticising a ‘straw man’? Dawkins compares belief in God to the belief that there is teapot orbiting the planet Pluto

Are Dawkins’ views coherent? Yes No Booklets, p.82-84

Life After Death The Problem of Evil

Past exam question ‘Theories of life after death do not provide a solution to the problem of evil.’ Discuss [35] What is the problem of evil? How might belief in life after death help to solve the problem? Resurrection: Reincarnation: Summum Bonum:

Life after death and the Problem of Evil The theodicies use free will to explain the existence of evil But many people question this idea and ask why good people suffer if God is just The solution could be life after death Perhaps we could justify innocent suffering in this life if we have faith in another life where people will be judged and then punished or rewarded Luke 16:19 – 31

Specialist Subject: Life and Death Begin Specialist Subject: Life and Death

Name two famous dualists 1

What is materialism? 2

According to monism, what happens to our souls when our body dies? 3

What is the problem of personal identity? 4

Explain Plato’s argument from knowledge 5

According to Aristotle, what is the soul? 6

Why did Descartes doubt the physical world? 7

What is disembodied existence? 8

9 Hick’s replica theory describes three strange scenarios, but what is his point concerning the problem of personal identity? 9

To what strange belief does Dawkins compare religious belief? 10

To which religious belief is Hick’s theory similar? 11

Explain Ryle’s criticism of dualism (the cricket team example) 12

Group Presentations – 30 minutes to prepare In twos / threes: Use the textbooks and booklets to research your topic Produce a wonderful poster / drama and then present it to the rest of the class Everyone in the group must be involved in the presentation

Group Presentations Explain and evaluate Plato’s argument from the cycle of opposites and his argument from knowledge Critically evaluate Aristotle’s views concerning body and soul Explain and evaluate Descartes’ dualism Explain and evaluate Hick’s replica theory, focusing on criticisms from Penelhum and Williams Explain and evaluate Dawkins’ biological materialism Critically compare reincarnation and resurrection – which view makes more sense?

Group 1: Plato Explain and evaluate: Dualism The Theory of the Forms The soul as a charioteer The argument from the cycle of opposites The argument from knowledge Peter Geach’s criticisms of Plato

Group 2: Aristotle Explain and evaluate: Monism The relationship between form and matter The four causes Different types of souls Criticisms of Aristotle’s view Is monism more convincing than dualism? Why?

Group 3: Descartes Explain and evaluate: Descartes’ three waves of doubt ‘I think therefore I am’ Ryle’s critique of dualism (the ghost in the machine / a category mistake) Points in favour and against dualism

Group 4: Hick Explain and evaluate: Hick’s materialism Three scenarios to show that resurrection of the body is logically possible The Replica Theory Resurrection The Problem of Identity Criticisms from Penelhum and Williams

Group 5: Dawkins Explain and evaluate: Biological Materialism The Selfish Gene The dangers of religion The challenge of Darwinism to traditional religious belief Criticisms of Dawkins – does he misrepresent / misunderstand religious belief?

Review questions Critically compare Aristotle's and Richard Dawkins' views on body soul identity. Critically assess the views of John Hick and Plato on the distinction between body and soul. ‘Philosophical beliefs about life after death are incoherent.’ Discuss.

Past question Evaluate the claim that the soul is distinct from the body (35 marks) Explain dualism (Plato, Descartes) Argue for dualism (problem of identity, Plato’s arguments, reincarnation, Descartes’ doubts) Argue against dualism (Geach, Ryle, Dawkins) Things to discuss: Is the soul the real person? Is knowledge just about remembering? Is there any persuasive evidence of past life experiences? Do doubts about the physical world show that the soul is more ‘real’ than the body? Could we exist without our bodies?

Homework Log into Moodle and click on A2 Ethics and Philosophy – Homework and Assignments. Look at the twelfth block that says 12: Atheism. Look at / read at least three links. Answer the question on p.94: How convincing is the argument that life after death helps to solve the problem of evil? Make a glossary of key terms for the life after death topic Revise for the mock exam in January