Overview

What are humans? What makes us who we are? Many think that we are just complicated machines, or animals that are different from machines only by being conscious. In Are We Bodies or Souls? Richard Swinburne comes to the defence of the soul and presents new philosophical arguments that are supported by modern neuroscience. When scientific advances enable neuroscientists to transplant a part of brain into a new body, he reasons, no matter how much we can find out about their brain activity or conscious experiences we will never know whether the resulting person is the same as before or somebody entirely new. Swinburne thus argues that we are immaterial souls sustained in existence by our brains. Sensations, thoughts, and intentions are conscious events in our souls that cause events in our brains. While scientists might discover some of the laws of nature that determine conscious events and brain events, each person's soul is an individual thing and this is what ultimately makes us who we are.

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9780198874959

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Reviews

Review from previous edition Richard Swinburne is a dualist of long standing, in the tradition of Descartes, and in this book he offers a comprehensive exposition and defense of the position, which makes its philosophical motivation clear. Even those who are not persuaded can be grateful to Swinburne for explaining the distinctive appeal of this significant view . . . If Swinburne is right, we know who we are. If he is wrong, his arguments show that our natural sense of ourselves includes a large dose of stubborn illusion. * Thomas Nagel, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews * Are We Bodies or Souls? is a remarkable book. This comparatively brief volume restates and re-argues the main contentions of earlier writings, including two earlier books, as well as some conclusions that are new in this volume. It does this in a way that Swinburne rightly considers more widely accessible than his earlier work on the topic. * William Hasker, Roczniki Filozoficze * [A] lucid and powerfully argued defense of substance dualism. * John Cottingham, Roczniki Filozoficze * Whether or not the argument is persuasive, Are We Bodies or Souls? is excellent. It deepens the debate for professional philosophers, and carefully introduces a wide audience to a big question, a big answer, and a big argument. It is especially useful for courses in metaphysics and philosophy of mind. * Tyron Goldschmidt, Religious Studies * One of the very best defenses of Cartesian substance dualism currently on offer. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about how such a view might be defended today. * Jeremy W. Skrzypek, Roczniki Filozoficze * One can only admire the erudition, philosophical acumen, and fair-mindedness with which he defends his position. Swinburne is in that class of thinkers from whom one always learns much, even when one ends up having to disagree. * Edward Feser, First Things * I strongly recommend this book to any readers who are interested in the philosophical theme of substance dualism and all those who are familiar with his earlier books on this theme ... Swinburne takes care to evaluate Descartes and his thought in detail by identifying and bringing to light what he considers the errors manifested in his thought. * Naveen George o.f.m, ESSSAT News & Reviews * An illuminating book. * Paradigm Explorer * [Swinburne's] greatest achievement has been to put substance dualism back in play as an option in the philosophy of mind. * Howard Robinson, Roczniki Filozoficze * An interesting and challenging read. For those who are seriously interested in philosophy of mind, this book deserves a spot in their library. . . . Are We Bodies or Souls? is a work of pure philosophy of the highest caliber. * Apologetics 315 * Swinburne is seriously analytical in his treatment of rival theories and the evidence for them ... Swinburne's argument is clear, assured, and unapologetic * Rt Revd Dr John Saxbee, former Bishop of Lincoln, Church Times * It is worth the careful attention it demands. * Church of England Newspaper *

Review from previous edition Richard Swinburne is a dualist of long standing, in the tradition of Descartes, and in this book he offers a comprehensive exposition and defense of the position, which makes its philosophical motivation clear. Even those who are not persuaded can be grateful to Swinburne for explaining the distinctive appeal of this significant view . . . If Swinburne is right, we know who we are. If he is wrong, his arguments show that our natural sense of ourselves includes a large dose of stubborn illusion. * Thomas Nagel, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews * Are We Bodies or Souls? is a remarkable book. This comparatively brief volume restates and re-argues the main contentions of earlier writings, including two earlier books, as well as some conclusions that are new in this volume. It does this in a way that Swinburne rightly considers more widely accessible than his earlier work on the topic. * William Hasker, Roczniki Filozoficze * [A] lucid and powerfully argued defense of substance dualism. * John Cottingham, Roczniki Filozoficze * Whether or not the argument is persuasive, Are We Bodies or Souls? is excellent. It deepens the debate for professional philosophers, and carefully introduces a wide audience to a big question, a big answer, and a big argument. It is especially useful for courses in metaphysics and philosophy of mind. * Tyron Goldschmidt, Religious Studies * One of the very best defenses of Cartesian substance dualism currently on offer. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about how such a view might be defended today. * Jeremy W. Skrzypek, Roczniki Filozoficze * One can only admire the erudition, philosophical acumen, and fair-mindedness with which he defends his position. Swinburne is in that class of thinkers from whom one always learns much, even when one ends up having to disagree. * Edward Feser, First Things * I strongly recommend this book to any readers who are interested in the philosophical theme of substance dualism and all those who are familiar with his earlier books on this theme ... Swinburne takes care to evaluate Descartes and his thought in detail by identifying and bringing to light what he considers the errors manifested in his thought. * Naveen George o.f.m, ESSSAT News & Reviews * An illuminating book. * Paradigm Explorer * [Swinburne's] greatest achievement has been to put substance dualism back in play as an option in the philosophy of mind. * Howard Robinson, Roczniki Filozoficze * An interesting and challenging read. For those who are seriously interested in philosophy of mind, this book deserves a spot in their library. . . . Are We Bodies or Souls? is a work of pure philosophy of the highest caliber. * Apologetics 315 * Swinburne is seriously analytical in his treatment of rival theories and the evidence for them ... Swinburne's argument is clear, assured, and unapologetic * Rt Revd Dr John Saxbee, former Bishop of Lincoln, Church Times * It is worth the careful attention it demands. * Church of England Newspaper *

Author Information

Richard Swinburne was Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion at the University of Oxford from 1985 until 2002. Since then he has continued to lecture in many different countries. His published works include a trilogy on the philosophy of theism, the central title being The Existence of God, Second Edition (Oxford 2004), a tetralology of books on the meaning and justification of central Christian doctrines, and Mind, Brain, and Free Will (Oxford 2013). He is a Fellow of the British Academy.

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