Dualism: Is there two "bodies" to us all?

Question

Is there a soul which is part of our body? If so, in what way does it influence us?

Answer 1

Well, there are certainly no two physical strands of ourselves. We can only occupy one space at one particular time (speaking physically).

However, the idea of the chimaera is that two bodies or souls can become intertwined and ultimately inseperable. But this can never breed dualism as they are two different beings or souls. We can never be two-and-the-same. We can only ever be one. What we are.

Answer 2

Well science would have us believe that there can never be any such thing as a perfect circle either, however just because we can't actually create a 100% perfect circle on earth we still know that it exists as a form or mathematical equation. The form of a thing is the thing in its perfection, just like how a circle that we would draw would have some imperfections in the physical world, the soul as it exists as a part of the body (in the physical world)cannot be perfect until the physical body ceases to be the conduit of information. So, I would say that a soul is not separate and distinct from the body, but it can control the body through rational thoughts of the perfect form. Whereas, all of the other information that comes from the body and sensory perception can never achieve a perfect knowledge of physical information.

Answer 3

Dualism doesn't really refer to the separation of the body and soul as two "bodies", but rather the inner and outer, or object and subject, or mind and body. Saying that there are two "bodies" isn't dualism, because bodies are by definition objective existents, so two objective existents is just appealing to the objective side of the dilema. The problem is not that we have an objective physical body, and an objective astral body (or soul). The problem is that we apparently have an objective existence (whether that be the body or the soul) and a subjective existence (that within which awareness arises).

The problem is that no bridge between the two can be made. Materialism is the argument that the inner comes from the outer, idealism the reverse. But neither one actually bridges the gap. Even if the brain is said to "cause" consciousness, this explanation just views consciousness as an object, so it assumes the very thing it is trying to prove (that consciousness ultimately is an object). Likewise in reverse for idealism.

Consciousness viewed as an object (i.e., something that exists objectively) can certainly be explained in terms of objective causal conditions (such as the brain). But consciousness is by definition subjective existence. So that when you speak of consciousness as an object, you are by definition talking about something other than consciousness.

Think of the mind/body problem this way: we know a great deal about the objective existence of color, from the way light works to the way our eyes work to the way our brains interpret the data. But no amount of information about these objective existents that explain for color can actually tell an individual who has never experienced color one bit, not even one tiny bit, of what the color red, for instance, looks like. There is a gap. No amount of objective information can explain the actual subjective experience.

This gap/phenomena in general is referred to as the mind/body problem, or dualism. Just like with the color example, no amount of objective information can ever explain actual experience (i.e., consciousness). These factors may explain how experience comes into existence objectively (e.g, we say an unconscious person is not experiencing anything because their brain is shut down), it doesn't explain how subjective reality arises non-objectively (i.e., as it is, subjective). Again, we can understand how the perception of the color red happens objectively, but none of that information brings us one step closer to understanding the actual experience-of-the-color-red's existence. The objective information can explain how this experience arises objectively, but it doesn't explain how this arises subjectively (i.e, in itself).

This is, incidentally, what led many great Eastern philosophers, particularly Hindu, to conclude the soul is subjectivity.

Objective conditions make it appear that the subject is tied to a particular object (our particular body/mind). This appearance of the subject appearing as an individual unit might be what we call the 'soul'.

It is clear that if the subject did not exist, nothing would appear at all. So its influence is the existence of experience, and therefore life.

Answer 4

According to Hermes Tresmigestus, the soul is composed of 4 'lower elements' and 3 'higher elements':

3) Earth (1st red chakra: Survival)
4) Water (2nd orange chakra: Reproductive System)
5) Fire (3rd yellow chakra: Solar Plexus)
6) Air (4th green chakra: Heart)

7) Sound (5th blue chakra: Throught)
8) Light (6th indigo chakra: 3rd eye - brow)
9) Thought (7th violet chakra: Crown)

It is the different compositions of all these elements interacting together that the self has its 'character' and the body has its shape (projection).

No, I did not begin with (1) but with (3) or rather Hermes did because the (1) is the spirit (breath of God) which the buddhists call the WITNESS and (2) is the MIND and in the blending of those two comes into being the (3) which is the unity of the marriage of those together in the (body / material world).

Each element (in terms of its dearth or excess) determines certain dominance vs. weakness of the characteristics you exhibit. For example, too much 'air' causes one to be restless and bored easily. Too much 'fire' is the consumption of man into the pursuit of anything intellectual and courageous.

Now, the lower elements compose the left hemishpere and its 'functions' and the higher elements compose the right hemisphere and its elements.

I have tried as best as I can to keep this simple and concise. Hope that helped.

Answer 5

I hate to spoil this discussion with religion but the idea of dualism
was clearly set out by 'Zoroaster' he preached the idea of one God but another deity was always present the other deity was the Devil and god and the devil coincided sided by side. Both God and the devil occupied every human being. His philosophy was that there was a fine balance between good and evil, and all men were the result of that balance. Now, how do you determine the good in a man and the evil in a man and what is the balance?
Was Hitler good or was he bad how do we determine whether Hitler was good or evil? Who determines good or evil.

Take this example;

A young man walking in the countryside sees a fox grabs a brick
and throws it at the fox hits it an walks over to the fox an begins to torture it and sits there laughing as it screams and carries on till it dies. Remembering that these animals are vermine is he good or evil?

The same young man is walking in the country and sees a fox screaming in agony, it had just been shot with a shot gun and half its body was missing yey it still lived the man found a brick and hit the fox cleanly on the head killing it instantely. Was he good or evil?

The thing is the man killed the fox both times was he double evil or was he good both times who decides. I know in my mind but many will disagree with me. Keeping the two sides of man at bay is like Zoarester says 'prety tricky' There can be no doubt there are two pesonalities to all men. By the way I am not religious hope you can see my view.

ATB Redmonk

Answer 6

scientifically there is no such thing as a soul but there is spiritualism so in effect some people believe we have a presence or aura/energy around our being. I think the "soul" as it is called can be considered our conscience and as we grow it develops a moral code by which we live it, I think, dictates our values and beliefs in turn directing the life we lead.

Answer 7

Yes, lower carnal man an spirit (SOUL) As long as we live on the level of ignorance we are in a state of blissful ignorance,at some point we become aware of the level of law,Karma,cause & effect,Sin,on this level of awareness we see duality,Good/evil,positive/ negative etc.we believe we have free will,that we are the doer of all actions. this condition forces us to seek the help of a higher power. when we meet a saint,and there are a great many,who has the power to baptize us into spirit,then we rise above the level of law into a state of Grace,where we serve God in all things,Finding that there is but one will and we follow "That" in unconditional love. Now if we had a few thousand years an millions of words i would fill in all the things i have omitted. "GOD dwells within you as you" Awake to "that"

Answer 8

Well, each one of us has two parts, say body and soul.
Each of these parts is also double, as soul has its bodily aspects, and the body, its metaphysical ones.
Each sub part also then (oh forget it)

Answer 9

you can call it a "body" but it is not a body in the normal sense. It is more like the awareness of our physical body.

Answer 10

i think u might find all the info here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dualism

Good luck