RE: The problem of the soul
July 31, 2021 at 2:19 pm
(This post was last modified: July 31, 2021 at 2:19 pm by HappySkeptic.)
I think there is something in the nature of our brain that makes is think of the "self" as separate from the body. This leads to us imagining a soul.
Those religions that believe in reincarnation separate the soul from the ego. The reincarnated being has no memories or knowledge of past lives. Everything that made you uniquely "you" is lost. The immortal part of you that lives on is beyond the mere ego and self, and those who escape the wheel or rebirth (in Buddhism) still leave their ego behind.
Religions that worship ancestors or believe in eternal life go a different direction, but I find the idea that the ego lives on after death is ridiculous. It will barely live on through dementia or stroke. When the brain is damaged, it damages the self. When the brain dies, so does the self. Case closed.
Those religions that believe in reincarnation separate the soul from the ego. The reincarnated being has no memories or knowledge of past lives. Everything that made you uniquely "you" is lost. The immortal part of you that lives on is beyond the mere ego and self, and those who escape the wheel or rebirth (in Buddhism) still leave their ego behind.
Religions that worship ancestors or believe in eternal life go a different direction, but I find the idea that the ego lives on after death is ridiculous. It will barely live on through dementia or stroke. When the brain is damaged, it damages the self. When the brain dies, so does the self. Case closed.
