Do we posess a soul, or is it all chemical?

[Fiend Dragon]

SUPER SNIP AAAAWWAAAY!

You sir, win. Everything. Thank you.

 

[Elric Randall]

The definition of soul is the important part here.

Is there a soul that remains when we die?
Is there a energy that is released when we die that also retains our personality or "essence"?

Is there an afterlife we go to?
Is there a place for our "essence" to be collected and/or reconstituted to allow for another life cycle?

I would say it might be possible, but there's not reason enough to assume its existence. Something might come along that IS chemical but still fits the definition of soul mentioned above.

Insufficient data, and the binary choice is falsely limiting. >.>

 

[YoyoTimes5]

Lol define a soul. Then tell me how a non-physical entity can cause anything to a physical one.

That's actually been proven time and time again. Has an idea ever caused you to do anything or cause anything to have been done to you? Ideas have no physical form, yet they have a huge impact on the world around us.

As for the whole definition of a soul, well, I don't think there is a unified theory on that.

The problem there, of course, is that ideas do have a physical representation. An idea encodes some information and that takes the form of a polychronous neural activity.

Therefore you reduce an idea to some physical event, which is very much allowed to affect other physical entities.

Actually, the only thing that has ever been proven is the polychronous neural activity at the moment of an idea being formed, there has never been any proof the the information that creates the idea is encoded in such activity.

Neural models have shown that new patterns are created when new stimuli (ideas) are presented and that the pathways comprising the patterns of activity are maintained. It is merely an extension of Hebbian theory that if something would cause a certain repetitive firing pattern, a neuronal network would maintain that pattern after the stimuli ceased. In this way, information can be encoded.

 

[Sworm]

As humans that's a question we simply don't know the answer to, and anyone who boldly claims to KNOW one way or the other is an idiot.

I could not agree more with you. There is no scientific (since that's what people seem to respond to the most) proof that it DOES or DOESN'T exist.

If you claim absolute certainty, you are either arrogant or a fool, possibly both at the same time.

As for me, MY opinion of the matter is that there is something that can be defined as a soul however I have no way of saying what exactly it would constitute.

 

[microhive]

No evidence for a soul + Our scientific understanding of brain = No soul.

 

[Aeshi]

No.Eventually people will have to just acknowledge that the only thing we have to look forward to after death is getting eaten by worms/maggots/whatever

 

[Embright]

Let's define precisely what a soul is (not some vague thing like "the essence of your unique being"), then we can decide whether we have one or not.

This was my first thought.

Secondly we could ask questions that would invalidate any idea of a type of soul without addressing the question itself. Basically questions of existence would predate this, i.e. is David Hume or is Rene Descarte correct?

 

[Jedamethis]

Well, if you mean 'the thing that goes to Heaven when we die' then no.

In your opinion.

Well, that's the point of a forum, to share your opinion!

 

[Elric Randall]

This is not me agree or disagreeing with you here. But if we are all just complex 'machines', why on earth should we still care for each other? I think our evolution has taken a step in the wrong direction if this is true. Because we would be better of if we were next door neighbours of the ants in that case.

Assuming that we are complex machines, most people (anyone who buys food from a store) are not self sufficient. Caring for people is essentially maintenance of our surrounding infrastructure.

Simply put, I care for you because I assume you're worth something to me. Yes that's selfish; most of us are selfish creatures. Selfishness gets a bad rap.

 

[The Austin]

Well, if you mean 'the thing that goes to Heaven when we die' then no.

In your opinion.

Well, that's the point of a forum, to share your opinion!

I know, I was just giving you a hard time.

 

[Jedamethis]

Well, if you mean 'the thing that goes to Heaven when we die' then no.

In your opinion.

Well, that's the point of a forum, to share your opinion!

I know, I was just giving you a hard time.

Well that was the softest, most comfortable hard time I've ever had

 

[Cain_Zeros]

It's all chemical. Some people might find that depressing, but really it's fascinating that chemical reactions can create something as complex as human emotions and the basis of personality.

 

[Alandoril]

The chemicals create the soul.

 

[The Austin]

Well, if you mean 'the thing that goes to Heaven when we die' then no.

In your opinion.

Well, that's the point of a forum, to share your opinion!

I know, I was just giving you a hard time.

Well that was the softest, most comfortable hard time I've ever had

I could make it worse if you wanted.

I DISAGREE WITH YOU AND YOUR PREVIOUSLY STATED OPINION!

There!

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I believe that what people describe as a soul is just our own conscience. So no, I don't believe we all have a soul.

 

[Amphoteric]

We are just a bunch of atoms and electricity so no we don't have a soul any more than a rock has a soul.

 

[Soviet Steve]

You can easily test this.

Open up someone's head, remove the brain, put it in a blender, then pour the contents back inside the head, close it up.

If a magical cloud is what keeps people going, then it wont affect the test subject in the slightest.