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Wed 31 Aug, 2005 05:55 am
Modern Science has many uses for the concept of a non-material soul or spirit. Here are some modern scientific uses for these concepts:
1. In Evolutionary Biology, the gene is regarded as the replicating unit. Behaviour is designed to maximize survival of the gene. However, it is never a particular gene that survives, but the pattern of a gene. The pattern is not a physical or energetic entity and can usefully be regarded as a spirit.
2. In neurobiology the brain is credited with causing experience and behaviour. To accomodate this view, it is essential that a non-material spirit be constructed that is the causal recipient of experience and behaviour initiated by the brain.
3. In medicine, brain matter is sometimes said to be disordered, causing mental illnesses. As matter itself cannot be said to be disordered, it is suggested that the disorder is a spirit or non-material energy that resides in the brain.
4. In quantum physics, the observer is credited with affecting physical outcomes. The observer is not defined physically, so here we have an example of a non-material energy affecting quantum physical outcomes.
5. In the theory of mathematics, numbers are said to continue indefinitely. As numbers occur only as contingent constructions, we must suppose that the mathematician places a "hidden mathematician" beside each number who can secretely construct succeeding numbers. It would not be useful here to claim that the "hidden mathematician" is not physical, as mathematics itself is not physical. We may, however, use the example of the hidden mathematician as a representative of mathematics and its contingent nature. Contingency, as appearance and disappearance, is not a property of a purely physical universe.
This is very interesting. BM
Quote:Modern Science has many uses for the concept of a non-material soul or spirit.
You're saying that as if the scientific uses of the concept are the only ones that matter.
What about your mind? Can we say that the mind resides in the brain? The mind is non material energy, same as the genetic pattern you mention. It is the spiritual energy of life.
This energy is in all things that evolve, and it is the same energy in a human as in a plant. This energy manipulates matter into the lifeforms we know, and when this energy is no longer present matter immediately starts to reverse itself to it's original state.
When my spirit leaves my body, the components of it will dissipate. The water in my body will be water again, and so on.
Cyracuz wrote:Quote:Modern Science has many uses for the concept of a non-material soul or spirit.
You're saying that as if the scientific uses of the concept are the only ones that matter.
What about your mind? Can we say that the mind resides in the brain? The mind is non material energy, same as the genetic pattern you mention. It is the spiritual energy of life.
This energy is in all things that evolve, and it is the same energy in a human as in a plant. This energy manipulates matter into the lifeforms we know, and when this energy is no longer present matter immediately starts to reverse itself to it's original state.
When my spirit leaves my body, the components of it will dissipate. The water in my body will be water again, and so on.
Quote:You're saying that as if the scientific uses of the concept are the only ones that matter.
I know it sounded like that. I never meant it like that, but scientists can be very sensitive to criticisms of their topic. So I decided to make the concept sound limited. No disagreement here.
You probably did right. Interesting post btw.
hi there, im pretty new to this site but i noticed this thread and got really interested!
as far as i understand, there's very little empirical evidence that constitutes as valid reason for the proverbial 'human battery' to start or stop. is this right?
iv always thought that what we refer to as the spirit is largely influenced by cultural and religious definitions but these are concepts that attempt to encapsulate that which our experience of the world reveals and what scientific/emprical testing confirms. although, science is also limited by knowledge, which is dependant on innovation. at the end of the day, science and religion are both culturally and anthropologically subjective constructs that seek to make sense of the stimulus we encounter from within the human experience.
whose to say the spirit to which we refer is composed of any kind of matter we are familiar with or even exists in the same way as our bodies do?
i suppose iv gone off on one there....just chucking out some ideas.....
jj's phrase generator is extruding loaves of wisdom this night. You betcha
gurumullen wrote:hi there, im pretty new to this site but i noticed this thread and got really interested!
as far as i understand, there's very little empirical evidence that constitutes as valid reason for the proverbial 'human battery' to start or stop. is this right?
iv always thought that what we refer to as the spirit is largely influenced by cultural and religious definitions but these are concepts that attempt to encapsulate that which our experience of the world reveals and what scientific/emprical testing confirms. although, science is also limited by knowledge, which is dependant on innovation. at the end of the day, science and religion are both culturally and anthropologically subjective constructs that seek to make sense of the stimulus we encounter from within the human experience.
whose to say the spirit to which we refer is composed of any kind of matter we are familiar with or even exists in the same way as our bodies do?
i suppose iv gone off on one there....just chucking out some ideas.....
i a m sorry but ther e are zombie s knok i ng at our door and i have to bored up the ho u se
Actually...scientists have a name for these "unknowns" that you have mentioned.
They call them...unknowns.
And they have devised a system for "investigating" them...
...which they call "investigating."
The object of scientific "investigation" is to try to figure out what is going on here.
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