...According to Aristotle psychology is the branch of science which investigates the soul and its properties. Aristotle thinks of the soul as a general principle of life. In view of this Aristotle's psychology studies all living beings, and not merely those he regards as having minds, human beings. So, in De Anima, he takes it as his task to provide an account of the life activities of plants and animals, alongside those of humans. This conception by Aristotle as substantiated by his subject matter which claims that Aristotle’s psychology is concerned with giving an account of all those activities which are characteristics of living things, puts his theory in sharp contrast to the dualistic conception of the soul by Plato and modern psychology which focuses on conscious and intentional state. Plato, unlike Aristotle had conjectured that man is a composite of soul which is non-physical and a body which is physical. Plato’s psychology has it that the soul pre-existed the body and it continuous to exist at the demise of the body and that the soul has independent existence of the body. Aristotle, bearing the weaknesses of Plato’s psychology in mind, decides to put in his say on psychology. To this end, this essay seeks to examine critically Aristotle’s contribution to psychology. In this attempt, the essay will examine Aristotle’s soul and body relationship, his treatment of the soul from natural science and the fact the soul does not survive the demise of the body. To start with...
Words: 963 - Pages: 4
...The debate regarding the existence of the soul is ongoing even today. In two articles, “You Don’t Have a Soul” and “Has the Large Hadron Collider Disproved the Existence of Ghosts,” the discussion of the existence souls continues. Both articles argue that such beings cannot exist based on the lack of scientific evidence. However, souls exist even if individuals cannot see them. Souls exist based on the distinction between material and immaterial things in the world. Material means physical matter, changing, and the senses pick up on them, like a tree or body. immaterial, in contrast, means non-physical and constant (). An example of an uncompounded form is justice. Everything on earth contains both aspects of material and immaterial, including...
Words: 537 - Pages: 3
...link: descartes DESCARTES (1596-1650) AND THE CARTESIAN DOGMA OF A MECHANICAL UNIVERSE theme: Descartes is usually regarded as the founder of modern philosophy. His belief in the certainty of knowledge or 'truth' - the 'Cartesian belief' - was the basis for his method of analytic reasoning - the 'Cartesian method' - which he claimed was a function of the 'soul' - 'Cartesian doctrine'. He viewed the universe as a machine designed by divine reason or 'God' - the 'Cartesian dogma'. Descartes' perception of 'human nature'... The "essence of human nature lies in thought, and all the things we conceive clearly and distinctly are true". In this way Descartes demonstrated the value of error and proved his doctrine - the 'Cartesian doctrine' - that human reason was a valid means of searching for certain knowledge or 'truth'. "Most ancient civilizations knew what we have forgotten: that knowledge is a fearful thing. To know the name of something is to hold power over it. In ancient myths and legends, eating from the tree of knowledge meant banishment from one garden or another. In the modern world, this Janus-like quality of knowledge has been forgotten. Descartes, for example, reached the conclusion that 'the more I sought to inform myself, the more I realized how ignorant I was.' Instead of taking this as a proper conclusion of a good education, Descartes thought ignorance was a solvable problem and set forth to find certain truth through a process of radical skepticism." (Miller...
Words: 3190 - Pages: 13
...A frequently used argument, especially by scientists who believe in god is that religion and science are two completely separate fields of knowledge and therefore there is no rising conflict between them.On the one hand, religion is about faith and provides a legit moral system for people to follow.Religion is about the spirituality of people and ethics.On the other hand, science is a system of empirical facts and data having to do with the understanding of the physical world. Stephen Jay Gould has advocated the non-overlapping magisteria theory according to which science and religion represent different nets of the same inquiry. Science represents facts and religion represents values. Each has a specific domain of teaching authority without affecting the other.1Richard Dawkins has criticized Gould's position on the grounds that religion is not and cannot be divorced from scientific matters or the material world. He writes, "it is completely unrealistic to claim, as Gould and many others do, that religion keeps itself away from science's turf, restricting itself to morals and values. A universe with a...
Words: 1343 - Pages: 6
...The term "Psychology" consists of two Greek words — Psyche and Logos. The former means "soul" and the latter means "Science". Psychology thus means science of soul. But the term "soul" cannot be easily explained and understood. This led to the meaning of psychology as the "science of mind". This also raised a number of questions. What is mind? Where is mind? What it does? The answers to these questions are not clear and acceptable to all. Such confusion led to the definition of psychology as "the science of consciousness". But it was contended that man's thought and action are not limited to the stage of "consciousness" alone. Man is active even when he is unconscious. That is why; psychology is called the "science of behavior" which means the study of human nature and activities. Thus the definition of psychology as the "Science of behavior" has been accepted by the majority. What does the term "behavior" mean? According to J.B. Watson, "By behavior" we mean an action which can be seen and observed in an objective way." Behavior is a broad concept. It includes all kinds of activities and experience of an individual. It refers to not only motor or physical activities like walking, talking, writing, but also mental activities like thinking, remembering, imagining and emotional activities, like love, anger and fear. Life manifests through all these activities and behavior is a collective name for all kinds of activities. Behavior is universal. Every living objects behavior...
Words: 314 - Pages: 2
...as history. I think that what the article said towards the end about our bodies and life after death wasn’t necessarily true. They related ones body to that of a computer. They said that data or our soul can exist without the computer or our body. I think our souls don’t need our bodies after death. He used the example of the idea of a song living on even if every copy was destroyed but I don’t think the memory of something living on is the same as the thing living on. “the scientific painting of the universe has deliberately set aside many of the most pleasing parts about being alive.” applying principles of science to explain the phenomenon of the universe gives more meaning to the theory of creation of the earth and everyone on it. science doesn’t take away the fact that we are alive, it emphasizes how interesting it is to be able to explain certain theories “Perhaps it is in the power of abstract ideas, the nature of words themselves, that give us our best analogy to understand how we can exist even when our bodies turn to dust.” i think it’s a bad analogy that a tangible object such as a work of art or the written word is related to the soul, because the soul can’t be duplicated or reproduced for future generations. abstract ideas are the product of a soul, but that is only after they are expressed by the body. Insights...
Words: 362 - Pages: 2
...myth there was nothing for society to live for and would soon collapse on itself. Thus, Nietzsche felt western culture was disenchanted. However, Nietzsche saw a glimmer of hope with German music that was being created at the time. Through German music, western society would become re-enchanted and bring the tragic myth back into western culture. Another important thinker of the time was Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky had similar views to Nietzsche in that society was disenchanted. Kandinsky felt the materialism society had succumbed to was trapping the soul in artificiality. There was no forward movement because there was nothing to really live for with society’s focus on artificial objects that truly do not matter. Also like Nietzsche, Kandinsky felt there was room for re-enchantment. Kandinsky felt abstract art would lead the observers inward and satisfy their inner need by causing spiritual vibrations of the soul. Thus both Nietzsche and Kandinsky were very similar in that they both felt society was disenchanted, but could become re-enchanted through art for Kandinsky and music for Nietzsche. Nietzsche’s views had elements of both disenchantment and re-enchantment. In The Birth of Tragedy Nietzsche represented disenchantment as the death of Greek tragedy and the tragic myth. Nietzsche wrote, “The forces of imagination and of Apollonian dream are saved only by myth from indiscriminate ramblings”.1 Myth frees the power of imagination and gives meaning to man’s life...
Words: 1677 - Pages: 7
...A Little Concept Called Creation Science and religion, religion and science – any way you put them (at least in my eyes) you got two studies of the beginning of life that would never intersect. After reading a portion of Paul Davies’ G-d and the new physics I have learned otherwise. In the section’s I read, I found that while the book tended to get a bit intellectual and less college friendly, certain topics produced a yield that was really unlike anything I’ve read before. It should be put out there prior to diving into discussion topics that obviously two schools of thought will be presented, the sciences and the religious. The following are two almost definitions given by Davies: “Science is based on careful observation and experiments enabling theories to be constructed which connect different experiences. Central to this approach is the willingness of the scientist to abandon a theory if evidence is produced against it…Religion is founded on revelation and received wisdom. Religious dogma that claims to contain an unalterable Truth can hardly be modified to changing ideas. The true believer must stand by his faith whatever the apparent evidence against it is. (6) It is by these two definitions that most of this paper will be centered around, and very important that everyone who reads this knows how I have defined these topics and those who subscribe to them. “…Any system of thought that claims to provide an understanding of the physical world must make some statement...
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5
...editor of his work, who, in assembling some of the philosopher’s writings on various branches of philosophical studies, took the title from those Aristotle most likely considered should be studied (literally) ‘after the Physics’; or after the treatises dealing with nature (ta phusika). Even during the Medieval era, the subject-matter of metaphysics was “being as such”; “the first causes of things”; ‘that which does not change.” Aristotle had divided metaphysics into three main categories, which now stand as the branches of the traditional Western science of metaphysics: ontology (the theory of being in itself), cosmology (the theory describing the origin and structure of the universe), and psychology (devoted to the study of the soul). Then, sometime in the seventeenth century, many topics and issues that Aristotle and the Medievalist philosophers would have classified as belonging to physics (for instance, the concept of the soul, the relation between the mind and the body, or the freedom of the will, or personal identity across time) began to be “reassigned” (rather abruptly) to metaphysics. The term “metaphysics” began to be a catch-all classification under which any and all philosophical problems that could not be otherwise categorized could be lumped. In other words, if it could not be called ‘epistemology’ or ‘logic’ or ‘ethics’, then it fell into the category of “metaphysics”. This forced a re-defining of the term, causing Christian Wolff (Halle, 1741) to justify this...
Words: 1188 - Pages: 5
...Why should someone donate their body to science, subjecting themselves to potential dissections or car crashes and so much more? What purpose is there to willingly allow one’s body to be disrespected? Those are potential questions one against body donations might pose, but I argue differently. Upon death, the cadaver is no longer the person once inhabiting the body. Experimenting or dissecting the cadaver for the betterment of mankind will not hurt them in any way and is not a sign of disrespect towards the person. If I did not qualify for organ donation, I personally would donate my body to science in order to better mankind, as my cadaver otherwise would have no purpose and as I do not perceive a cadaver as the person it once was. A dead, non-motile body has only a few options: rotting in the ground, lying uselessly in ashes in an urn, other methods of burial or...
Words: 772 - Pages: 4
..."Psychology is the science of madness and it does not contribute any positive effort towards the society!" I think she was not wrong, just because she did not know what Psychology is..Let's read this article and we all will get to know about this boring subject. Definition of PSYCHOLOGY: Science is a complete body of knowledge arranged in a systematic order. Psychology is a biological science which deals with the behaviour and minds of animals and human beings, both. It was derived from two Greek words; psyche: 'soul' and logos which means to talk. So the literal meaning of Psychology is: to talk about soul. Historical background of PSYCHOLOGY: Earlier psychology was a part of Philosophy. It was never considered to be a science. Four hundred years ago, a Greek Philosopher PLATO, studied life. In his theories, life and soul are said to be the beginning of Psychology. Morgan, a Philosopher said, "Psychology is the scientific study of activites of an individual." Boring, another Philosopher said: "Psychology is the study of human nature." Then, Robbinson said: "Psychology is the science of human and animal behaviour." According to Aristotle: "Psychology is the science of soul." Titchner, rejecting this view said: "Psychology is the science of mind." Welhelm, then said: "Psychology is the science of consciousness. "J.B.Watson, did not accept this view and said: "Psychology is the science of behaviour." At last, some of them agreed on the view that Psychology is the science of Bio-Social...
Words: 1022 - Pages: 5
...meaningless and of no use to the profession until they learn the history and meaning behind nursing theories. Nursing theories aid nurses by improving patient care and enhancing communication between members. “The theory of human caring was initiated by Jean Watson in the late 1970s. Jean Watson was a nursing professor at Colorado University. Dr. Jean Watson is Distinguished Professor of Nursing and holds a Chair in Caring Science at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She is founder of the original Center for Human Caring in Colorado and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She previously served as Dean of Nursing at the university Health Sciences Center and is a previous president of the National League for Nursing” (Watson, 1979, p. 8). The Human caring theory evolved around 1985 through 1988. She revisited Nightingales fundamental understanding of nursing, Watson gives credence to the integration of many of Nightingales core principles to formulate an evolving transpersonal caring-healing paradigm supported by unitary caring science theory. The human caring theory is based on the transpersonal approach to understand the healing process....
Words: 1389 - Pages: 6
...different. In the beginning of Descartes’ Discourse on the Method part IV, he had utilized the idea of his step methods to help philosophy solved basic problems. Descartes explained that seeking the truth in science would explain the comparison in science and philosophy. That both science and philosophy need each other in order to answer basic question for philosophy. The first one Descartes talk about in part IV was (Cogito ergo sum). “I am think, therefore I am”(Descartes) which had two principle in the quote. First principle was “I think” which according to Descartes meant ‘could be’. Second principle was the association ‘therefore I am’ and ‘I am think’, according to Descartes answer the question are we real. Another principle, Descartes had the idea that there was an independence of mind from body. He portrayed his idea of a body as the world and the mind as a soul. Descartes meant that the soul is separate from the body based on the deception of the senses as compared with pure reason. His doubts made him believed that he was an imperfect person but if he was imperfect, then something out there had to be perfect and that was God. He analyze that all creation and ideas in the world had to be created from a perfect human being. Once he realized truth about the souls and God he did not want to recognize dreams and imaginations and thought it was imperfect to think otherwise. 2. Evaluate the author’s success at providing a believable “surprise ending.” Descartes’’ depicture...
Words: 400 - Pages: 2
...thought within Indian philosophy that rejects anything surrealistic or supernatural. It rejects the existence spiritual, non worldly entities such an soul or god and the after-life. Their primary philosophical import comes from science and naturalism, thus they rejects ethical systems that are grounded in super naturalistic beliefs. The good, for the Indian materialist, is strictly associated with pleasure and the only ethical obligation forwarded by the system is the maximization of one’s own pleasure. The Carvakas were condemned and critized as this philosophical entity did not believe in contemporary view of ethics. The Cārvākas denied metaphysical concepts like reincarnation, soul, religious rites, other world (heaven and hell), fate and accumulation of merit or demerit through the performance of certain actions. The rejected the use of supernatural causes to describe natural phenomena. To them all natural phenomena was produced spontaneously from the inherent nature of things.[21] Carvakas thought that body was formed out of four elements (and that consciousness was an outcome of the mixture of these elements. Therefore, Carvakas did not believe in an afterlife. To them, all attributes that represented a person, such a thinness, fatness etc, resided in the body. To support the proposition of non-existence of any soul or consciousness Cārvāka believed there was nothing wrong with sensual pleasures and that it was the only objective worth pursuing. Since it is impossible...
Words: 630 - Pages: 3
...Therefore, I would like to analyses it from two perspectives, causality and neuroscience. Galileo proved that in the physical world everything follow the law of cause and effect, this fact can be applied in dualism as well. Because body has the property of extension, it must occupy some space in physical world to exist, therefore it is determined by causality. On the contrary, soul is not a physical being, so it doesn’t follow the rule of cause and effect, it is ‘free’. But Descartes also proposes that mind and body have a two-way causal relationship, after all the consciousness and the body don’t act separately. The problem of this theory is that Descartes doesn’t explain how the soul and body form a relationship of two-way causality. If dualism is true that soul and body are complete different yet independent, how do they even establish any bonds between each other and form any interactions in the first place? Although Descartes later claimed Pineal gland may be the so-called bridge between soul and body, the theory was falsified by science. Whether there is an organ or somewhere inside our body can do what Descartes says remains...
Words: 445 - Pages: 2
