Do Atheists believe we have souls?

[renee1258]

I’m open for anything from anyone in response to this. Just brainstorming and pondering this concept.

There is no evidence of having a soul. We have evidence that we are alive and behaviors have a chemical reaction in the brain to affect feelings and mood, but nothing showing evidence of having a soul. Many Athiests believe we act upon free will and not on just animalistic instinct, so how can this be if they don’t believe we have a soul. And if Atheists believe we have soul how did we get them and how can they rationally explain why we have souls.

 

[Mirdath]

If by soul you mean consciousness, a sense of identity, emotion, volition, and self, then yes. If you mean a completely metaphysical part of the ‘body’ that exists before and after the body, no.

The prior definition can include free will or not. Some non-theists believe that all action is determined by minute physical laws, some that we have free will. Regardless, what actually makes people tick is a black box of which neither atheist philosopher nor theologian know the contents.

 

[ribozyme]

No, the answer is that simple!

 

[Mr.Ex_Nihilo]

No, the answer is that simple!

Some atheists actually do believe in souls even though they do not believe in the divine. Belief in one does not automatically mean they believe in the other, although usually this is true.

Likewise, atheism does not mean no belief in the supernatural-- atheism does not always equal materialism, although often this is true too.

 

[renee1258]

If by soul you mean consciousness, a sense of identity, emotion, volition, and self, then yes. If you mean a completely metaphysical part of the ‘body’ that exists before and after the body, no.

I’m going to pick some more for clarification. Do Atheists know their identity or do they merely sense one. As a Catholic I know who I am, I don’t just don’t sense it.

 

[Mirdath]

Mirdath;1743275:

If by soul you mean consciousness, a sense of identity,

emotion, volition, and self, then yes. If you mean a completely metaphysical part of the ‘body’ that exists before and after the body, no.

I’m going to pick some more for clarification. Do Atheists know their identity or do they merely sense one. As a Catholic I know who I am, I don’t just don’t sense it.

Uh, I’m going to have to ask for clarification right back . What’s the difference between knowledge and sense? And by identity do you mean the sense/knowledge of belonging to a group (‘I am a Catholic’), the sense/knowledge of self (‘I am’), or something else? An atheist can know the first easily as not all groups are religious – and we are all human. The second is also easily knowable by simple Cartesian thought (cogito, ergo sum).

 

[renee1258]

Midrath, Taking a moment to think about it so I can word it correctly. I know what I want to say I just have to properly form it.

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

I’m open for anything from anyone in response to this. Just brainstorming and pondering this concept.

There is no evidence of having a soul. We have evidence that we are alive and behaviors have a chemical reaction in the brain to affect feelings and mood, but nothing showing evidence of having a soul. Many Athiests believe we act upon free will and not on just animalistic instinct, so how can this be if they don’t believe we have a soul. And if Atheists believe we have soul how did we get them and how can they rationally explain why we have souls.

Free will, consciousness. Both things that shouldn’t exist according to our current theories, but plainly do exist.

Language - if the current model was right then language processing ought to be a relatively simple symbol-processing job. In fact it is not like that at all. Just try to program a computer to write a response to this post.

Deities and souls do not necessarily imply each other, but they are certainly allied concepts. Very few philosophically serious atheists believe in the soul, though there are a large number of the common or garden type who believe in spirit channelling or energy-balancing healing, or similar popular practises which verge on a belief in the soul.

 

[Damascus]

Is there some central teaching authority for Atheists? I ask since my sister in law is one, and she laughed her head off at these responses. She says she does not give it a moments thought. Her take is she is going to die and what happens after that she does not know or care, she may become a part of the cosmos but not heaven, she will not go to a hell, but she may just cease to exist in any way after death and she does not care one way or the other if its cosmos or cease to exist. But, rule out heaven and hell.

There you have it. She basically is not loosing any sleep over it.

 

[Mirdath]

Is there some central teaching authority for Atheists? I ask since my sister in law is one, and she laughed her head off at these responses. She says she does not give it a moments thought. Her take is she is going to die and what happens after that she does not know or care, she may become a part of the cosmos but not heaven, she will not go to a hell, but she may just cease to exist in any way after death and she does not care one way or the other if its cosmos or cease to exist. But, rule out heaven and hell.

There you have it. She basically is not loosing any sleep over it.

I said pretty much that in another thread here Many non-theists simply aren’t as worried about having all the answers right here right now, and while it’d be nice to know they prefer to give their attention to more immediate issues.

And no, there is no central teaching authority for atheism – then it’d be a church!

And Malcolm, here you go – a response from a computer!

• Free will, consciousness.

Come, come, elucidate your thoughts.

• Both things that shouldn’t exist according to our current theories, but plainly do exist.

Say, do you have any psychological problems?

• Language - if the current model was right then language processing ought to be a relatively simple symbol-processing job.

What does that suggest to you?

• In fact it is not like that at all. Just try to program a computer to write a response to this post.

Don’t you think computers can help people?

• Deities and souls do not necessarily imply each other, but they are certainly allied concepts.

What does that suggest to you?

• Very few philosophically serious atheists believe in the soul, though there are a large number of the common or garden type who believe in spirit channelling or energy-balancing healing, or similar popular practises which verge on a belief in the soul.

What do you think?

courtesy of Wallace and Dunlop’s ELIZA implementation

don’t you think computers can help people…

 

[Jersey_McJones]

Atheism is simply not believing in God. It diesn’t say anything about “souls.” Now, of course, most atheists do not believe in the “soul.” But some do. Buddhists are atheists but have a sort of “soul” in their beliefs. Scientologists do as well. As a sort of stream of consciousness guy, myself, I like to think that what you do in life resonates throughout space and time and that there would be found something like the “soul.” But that’s a far cry from the Christian understanding of the “soul.” And it’s not something I am in any way convinced of.

JMJ