A Brief History of the Soul

In this episode of Mind Matters, host Pat Flynn begins a discussion about substance dualism with experts Dr. Stewart Goetz and Dr. Charles Taliaferro. They provide a brief history of the soul, explaining that the concept of the soul is universal and not limited to Greek philosophy. They discuss how Plato and Descartes contributed to the understanding of the soul, with Descartes making a significant shift in thinking by separating the soul from the life-giving power of the body. Goetz and Taliaferro also touch on the views of Aristotle and Aquinas, with some debate on whether hylomorphism can be considered a form of dualism. Overall, they argue that substance dualism, the belief that the mind and body are separate entities, is a prevalent and important perspective in philosophy. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. 

Additional Resources

• Pat Flynn at https://patflynn.com/
• Listen more at Pat Flynn’s podcast
• New book: Minding the Brain: Models of the Mind, Information, and Empirical Science