The Soul Hypothesis - 9781441152244

What do We Mean When We Speak About The Soul? What are the arguments for the existence of the soul as distinct from the physical body? Do animals have souls? What is the difference between the mind and the soul? The Soul Hypothesis brings together experts from philosophy, linguistics and science to discuss the validity of these questions in the modern world.

They contend that there is an aspect of the nature of human beings that is not reducible to the matter that makes up our bodies. This perspective is part of a family of views traditionally classified in philosophy as substance dualism and has something serious in common with the ubiquitous human belief in the soul.

The Soul Hypothesis presents views from a range of sciences and the resulting big picture shows, more clearly than could a single author with one area of expertise. that there is room for a soul hypothesis.

"The Soul Hypothesis is a refreshingly open-minded collection of new essays, all of them philosophically and scientifically well-informed, demonstrating that soul---body dualism is far from being a defunct hypothesis. Without ever sacrificing rigor the contributors set out their case for the soul in a clear and accessible way, which will make this volume exciting reading for both specialists and non-specialists. whether their background is in philosophy. science. ortheology. The editors do a first-rate job of tying the essays together and providing a general framework for understanding the key issues at stake."---E.J. Lowe Professor of Philosophy. Durhom University.UK

"Baker and Goetz have assembled an impressive interdisciplinary team of scholars to address questions about the existence and nature of the soul. The result is a rigorous exciting, persuasive presentation of the issues. The Soul Hypothesis is an excellent text that is sure to provoke a vigorous dialog about its content. I highly recommend it."---J. P. Moreland Distinguished Professor of Philosophy. Biala University. USA