@Jehanne
I suspect that it's getting annoying when I continually fail to take your point, so let me lay out the argument so far as I see it. Maybe this will help to settle things.
1 You: The soul is that thing which, according to some religious people, lives on after death.
2 You: A soul would be detectable because it would have to run on electrochemical actions, and those are detectable.
3 Me: How do we know that a soul has to run on electrochemical interactions?
4 You: Because mind does.
5 Me: That's true of mind, but why is it true of soul?
6 You: Because mind and soul are the same.
7 Me: Why are they the same?
8 You: Because they are.
Maybe that's not a fair summary, but that's my impression so far. I hope that it's clear from this that the identity of mind and soul seem unproven -- only asserted.
If I try to fill in the reasons why, in your view, mind and soul would be identical, I can imagine one or two.
8a: Souls have thoughts, feelings, ideas, and the only way we know for this to happen is with electrochemical interactions.
8b: According to some reports, souls have left bodies and continued to think in the way minds do.
Are either 8a or 8b things that are integral to your argument? If we had some reason to think that souls behave as minds, I think your conclusion might be stronger.
I suspect that it's getting annoying when I continually fail to take your point, so let me lay out the argument so far as I see it. Maybe this will help to settle things.
1 You: The soul is that thing which, according to some religious people, lives on after death.
2 You: A soul would be detectable because it would have to run on electrochemical actions, and those are detectable.
3 Me: How do we know that a soul has to run on electrochemical interactions?
4 You: Because mind does.
5 Me: That's true of mind, but why is it true of soul?
6 You: Because mind and soul are the same.
7 Me: Why are they the same?
8 You: Because they are.
Maybe that's not a fair summary, but that's my impression so far. I hope that it's clear from this that the identity of mind and soul seem unproven -- only asserted.
If I try to fill in the reasons why, in your view, mind and soul would be identical, I can imagine one or two.
8a: Souls have thoughts, feelings, ideas, and the only way we know for this to happen is with electrochemical interactions.
8b: According to some reports, souls have left bodies and continued to think in the way minds do.
Are either 8a or 8b things that are integral to your argument? If we had some reason to think that souls behave as minds, I think your conclusion might be stronger.
