Homework: ‘A loving God would not send people to Hell.’ AgreeDisagree

Reincarnation and Rebirth

Aims  To review Plato’s ideas  To explain and analyse eastern religious beliefs concerning reincarnation and rebirth

Plato Dualist Soul = charioteer Cycle of opposites Knowledge of the Forms

Plato’s Phaedo Reincarnation The cycle of death and rebirth involves intermediate stages where things change = the act of dying and revival Things are generated from their opposites

Plato Arguments forArguments against

Criticism of Plato  Peter Geach rejects Plato’s views:  How can the disembodied soul see the world of the Forms? Surely seeing is linked to the body?  Is existence without a body really human existence?  Other philosophers have rejected Plato’s argument from the cycle of opposites. Many things in the universe have opposites but this doesn’t necessarily mean that death and life are the opposite of each other, or that the soul exists

Reincarnation  Hindu belief Hindu belief  Hindus discuss their beliefs Hindus discuss their beliefs  Death in Hinduism Death in Hinduism  Becoming a Sadhu Becoming a Sadhu  Hindu Aghori Hindu Aghori

Reincarnation: 3 interpretations  Reincarnation – a fixed essence goes from life to life  Rebirth – a process continues from life to life  Metaphorical view of rebirth – rebirth is a mental happening within life Booklets, p.78

Reincarnation  Claims about past life experiences Claims about past life experiences

Reincarnation  Is there any persuasive evidence to suggest that souls are reincarnated?  How else might we account for claims about past life experiences?

Key question  What would the five key philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hick, Dawkins) say about reincarnation?

Hindu View  Hindus believe that the soul is eternal.  Karma (actions) in one life determines the type of reincarnation experienced in the next life.  Actions create impressions on the soul which in turn influence the type of birth one experiences in a future life.  Good actions lead to fortunate reincarnations, whereas bad actions lead to unfortunate reincarnations.  It is possible for humans to be reincarnated as animals.  The process of reincarnation is seen as something to be escaped from. In Hinduism, the ultimate goal of earthly existence is called moksha or mahasamadhi.

Key Terms - Hinduism  Karma – the law of cause and effect  Atman – ‘self.’ It can refer to body, mind or soul, depending on context  Samsara – the cycle of birth, death and rebirth  The jiva (the real self, or soul) is reincarnated as a human or other life form depending on the conduct of its last reincarnation

What is the problem of identity? Does the problem of identity suggest that reincarnation is incoherent? Reincarnation

Homework – due in next week  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?

Explain dualism: Key ideas, Plato, Descartes Keep using the words in the question Arguments for dualism: Problem of identity, Plato’s arguments, Reincarnation, Descartes’ doubts Arguments against dualism: Geach, Ryle, Dawkins Resurrection Evaluate the claim that the soul is distinct from the body Introduction: Identify the key theories and philosophers that you will discuss Conclusion: Summarise how your arguments have led you to the conclusion EITHER that dualist claims are coherent OR that they are incoherent Booklets, p.64-67, 70-71, 78-81, Think: 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’? How could we possibly exist without our bodies?