Mind Matters
Science of The Soul: Evaluating Dualism and Naturalism
Jan 4, 2024
Experts Dr. Stewart Goetz and Dr. Charles Taliaferro discuss substance dualism, motivations behind naturalism, challenges of physicalism, and the concept of liberal naturalism. They explore the connection between heat, warmth, and pain, the purpose of science, and reflect on the soul, higher education, and C.S. Lewis's perspective.
27:12
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Quick takeaways
- The adoption of a purely scientific approach can result in a lack of true explanation or the introduction of ad hoc components, challenging its explanatory power.
- The belief that science and the existence of the soul or God are incompatible fails to establish the universal causal closure and doesn't preclude their existence.
Deep dives
The Role of Science in Substance Dualism
One of the main motivations behind substance dualism is the commitment to a broad scientific approach. Many argue that science can explain everything without the need for additional commitments to the mind or soul. However, this approach leads to two options: either eliminate positions that don't conform to a purely physical worldview, resulting in a lack of true explanation, or introduce ad hoc components that are not predicted by the scientific theory. Both options present challenges and raise questions about the explanatory power of a purely scientific approach.
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