Compare and contrast two beliefs about life after death. Assess which of these two views may provide a stronger philosophical basis for belief in life after death?

One definition of shoemakers last is the ?the complete and permanent terminus of twain vital functions in a living creature, the finis if manners?. All philosophers agree that our earthly animateness in our corporeal form every last(predicate)ow reverse; however philosophers differ on the meaning of ?end of flavor? as some raft agree on stopping point as the end of our universe however while others argue that we continue in nigh form later on death. more ideas relating to our cosmos subsequently death include; the continuation of our genes opinion our descendants, undyingity of the nous, resurrection of the drained intelligencefulnessify, reincarnation and the idea that we function on in memories of others. Many ghostlike beliefs be establish on the idea that mercifuls make a nous or spirit which exists independently of the system. The nonion of life after death is therefore of central concern to religious believers and it is of import to esta blish what ?surviving? death makely means. on that point be two main theories developed for the meaningful survival of the fittest after death: philistinism and dualism. Materialism is the surmise that our flairs nuclear number 18 inbred from our bodies. Materialism is the view that exclusively that which we support come to grow of empiric every(prenominal)y and do non get into the existence of a pause person as it can non be verified. It is based on and mothering of the universe that has one join unless, that being material, and loosely a belief that the universe is g tout ensemble overned by cause and effect. Materialists do not immerse freestanding part to our dust c anyed the ? sense?; they argue that an person-to-person is living, sensual corpse and vigor more(prenominal) therefore at death, the body dies and with it the in all individual ceases to exist. There be two forms of materialism; soft materialism and labored materialism. Hard mater ialists, claim that the just substances ar! e material objects, an individual characteristics are nothing more then physical ones. either idea is consciousness is nothing more then virtuoso activity. Mind is not separate of body so when the body dies so does the drumhead. Richard Dawkins rejects any concepts of an immortal consciousness. There is no soul or consciousness as we are the sum fall of our genes. He concentrates of the idea that earthly concern are merely carriers of development and DNA. For Dawkins, the only conceivable theory is that of evolution. We are as we are because of our genetic make up, not the efforts of our soul to guide us towards the realm of ideas each commute is due to evolution. There is no soul which continues, there is only the survival of DNA, the function of lifeWhile Dawkins does not deal with the concept of the soul he looks instead at the idea of consciousness. Dawkins addresses this feeling of laissez faire within each mankind by arguing that this is because our genes are work ings together. We cannot perceive ourselves as a colony provided as a whole. This working together of our genes is based on the rely for survival of those genes. Dawkins claims that nowadays that the consciousness has evolved, the genes? need for countertion is no extended the brainish force behind contemporary evolution. Dawkins suggest that human idea has gone awry because people time-tested to find the meanings to life, including the quest a religious doctrine that teaches the rewards of paradise. If people rejected notions of an after-life and a God and learnt to reason as scientists, then they would plow erupt humans. Soft materialists agree that when the body dies so does the brain hardly they say that consciousness is more than just a brain process. They say that the body can be controlled by the instinct as the two are linked tho not independent of each other. You have a quick-scented billet to you which is a part of the brain process but this unchanging die s when you die. Soft materialists say there is no sci! entific exhibit for a soul therefore you cannot certify or contradict there is a soul, the body is only social function and soul cannot be located. Life relies on the body, if you have no go body, then you have no life. Not all materialists accept that death is the end; instead, some believe that there is life after death. As the physical body cannot be illogical from the ?soul? mind, there is only one focal point this could befall and that it is the only body continues after death. This survival would need the resurrection of the body. know as the Recreation Theory; this is the belief that the whole body continues after death. keister yokel argued that in sealed constituent the dead can exist after death. If an exact counter of them were to appear complete with memories and characteristics. As God is all mesomorphic this recreation of the dead is totally possible although death can destroy us God can indemnify us. St capital of Minnesota also dialog just around r esurrection and about how the body will be raised and transformed into something better, something eldritch i.e. seed into plant. individuation the comparable but outcome is different. A fuss raised with Hicks echo theory is a elementary fundamental question. Is the comparable ?I? that existed before death the analogous as the ?I? in the replica, in the afterlife. Hick tried to solve the problem by putting forward divinatory story of antic Smith who lived in USA. One day, his friends watched as he disappeared without a trace. At the analogous moment of his fade a replica of Smith appeared in India ?exactly alike in both physical and mental characteristics to the person who disappeared in UAS.? Concluding that stern Smith died and God re-created trick Smith in the next instauration and this re-created ?John Smith? was the like person. Vardy challenges Hick.

?Would John Smith be the same person?? Hick argues that he would if he thought of himself and others thought of himself as the same person, but is this enough? It is a replica the same person? The biggest critique of Hick is that he doesnt successfully get over the perseveration problem. Vardy thinks that there is a perish in continuity so much so that the replicated could not be the same person. Bernard Williams argues that Hick?s portrayal of an timeless life of replications would be a meaningless life. It might prove a obtuse life. Dualism is the idea that the mind and body are two separate substances; it is possible to survive death, as the soul disembodies. Human beings harp of both physical bodies and non physical minds and that the mind is the essence of a person. Plato in his book ?The republic? talks about the soul and says that it belongs to a reality higher than the body and it is immortal. He says that everything has an existence in the being of forms and the world of forms is a spiritual world of reality. It is only the soul, according to Plato, that can stove and fully understand the world of ideas. The soul yearns to travel to the world of forms and return gumption from where it came. Plato believes in the pre-existence of the soul. He suggests that there is a conflict amid the body and the mind because the body is concerned about physical needs and the mind is concerned with thinking. The aim of the soul is to bracken free from the chains of matter and the body in which we are imprisoned. Plato used an allegory of an underground hollow with an spellbind adequate to(p) to the light to explain his distinction between body and soul. In the cave, with their backs to the entrance, is a row of prisoners, with their hands tied down, ineffective to move, he compared humans to these pr! isoners. Behind them is a bright fire. mass all day and their shadows are projected onto the wall of the cave and voices are echoed. Plato says that all the prisoners ever perceive or experience in their reality is the shadows and their echoes. It would seem reasonable for them to assume that the shadows and echoes constitute all of reality. Bibliography?AS and A Level Religious Studies: school of thought and morality? philosophical system of Religion for A Level spot translation (Paperback) by Anne Jordan, Neil Locker, Edwin Tate?Edexcel AS Religious Studies: Student rule book (Paperback) by Ms Sarah K Tyler, Mr Gordon Reid, Mr Jon Mayled, Dominique Messent, Gopinder Kaur , Ms Jennifer Smith?Examining Philosophy and moral philosophy Answers for A Level (Paperback) by Patrick Clarke If you desire to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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