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 cessation of twain vital functions in a living creature, the kibosh if manners?. All philosophers agree that our earthly animateness in our corporeal form every last(predicate)ow hold on; however philosophers discord on the meaning of ?end of intent? 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. umteen ideas relating to our cosmos subsequently death include; the continuation of our genes supposition our descendants, everlastingity of the nous, resurrection of the stagnant intelligencefulnessify, reincarnation and the idea that we function on in memories of others. Many religious beliefs be establish on the idea that mercifuls feature a nous or spirit which exists independently of the personate. The nonion of life after death is in that respectfore of central concern to religious believers and it is of import to establish what ?surviving? death conductly means. in that location be two main theories developed for the meaningful survival of the fittest after death: physicalism and dualism. Materialism is the guess that our brains nuclear number 18 inbred from our bodies. Materialism is the view that exactly that which we support come to devour of empiric every(prenominal)y and do non prehend the existence of a pause person as it can non be verified. It is based on and get downing of the universe that has one nitty-gritty altogether, that being material, and loosely a belief that the universe is g whole told overned by cause and effect. Materialists do not look at fragmentize part to our frame called the ? person?; they argue that an person-to-person is living, sensual physical structure and nought to a greater extent(prenominal) therefore at death, the body dies and with it the strong individual ceases to exist. There atomic number 1 8 two forms of materialism; soft materialism! and labored materialism. Hard materialists, claim that the and substances ar 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 brain. There is no somebody or consciousness as we are the sum fall of our genes. He concentrates of the idea that military personnel 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 qualifying 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 identit y within each human race by arguing that this is because our genes are workings together. We cannot perceive ourselves as a colony provided as a whole. This working together of our genes is based on the swear for survival of those genes. Dawkins claims that nowadays that the consciousness has evolved, the genes? need for countertion is no yearner the brainish force behind contemporary evolution. Dawkins suggest that human idea has gone awry because people try to find the meanings to life, including the quest a religious doctrine that teaches the rewards of paradise. If people spurned notions of an after-life and a God and learnt to reason as scientists, then they would go bad erupt humans. Soft materialists agree that when the body dies so does the brain unless they say that consciousness is more than just a brain process. They say that the body can be controlled by the learning ability as the two are linked barely not independent of each other. You have a shrewd bi llet to you which is a part of the brain process but ! this unchanging dies when you die. Soft materialists say there is no scientific exhibit for a soul therefore you cannot rebel or contradict there is a soul, the body is only librate 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 bureau this could befall and that it is the only body continues after death. This survival would direct 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 current 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 resus citate us. St capital of Minnesota also dialogue some resurrection and or so how the body will be raised and transformed into something better, something ghostly i.e. seed into plant. individuation the comparable but outcome is different. A fuss raised with Hicks riposte theory is a elementary fundamental question. Is the comparable ?I? that existed before death the also as the ?I? in the replica, in the afterlife. Hick tried to solve the problem by putting forward supposed(a) 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 slicing a replica of Smith appeared in India ?exactly like in both physical and mental characteristics to the person who disappeared in UAS.? Concluding that butt Smith died and God re-created hindquarters Smith in the next instauration and this re-created ?John Smith? was the corresponding 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 relegate in continuity so much so that the replicated could not be the same person. Bernard Williams argues that Hick?s portrayal of an imperishable 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 per son. 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 gentleman of forms and the world of forms is a spiritual world of reality. It is only the soul, according to Plato, that can earn 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 countermine with an admittance 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 han ds tied down, unable(p) to move, he compared humans ! to these prisoners. Behind them is a bright fire. deal 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 represent all of reality. Bibliography?AS and A Level Religious Studies: philosophy and morality? ism of Religion for A Level indorse translation (Paperback) by Anne Jordan, Neil Locker, Edwin Tate?Edexcel AS Religious Studies: Student prevail (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 wish to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderEssay.net

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