There are numerous amounts of opinions or perspectives on certain subjects, of course making it a tough decision on whether or not an argument is considered credible. The power is within the readers to decide whether or not an argument is worth to be considered true. Particularly pertaining to the issue on what exactly should be considered to have a soul. There are countless numbers of interpretation, but two highly individuals claim to have different opinions on this issue. Therefore, I will present the two opposing views on the idea that certain substances are able to have a soul, for which I will then state the flaws that are within each view.
The scholastics interpretation of the soul is based on "the doctrine of body in terms of (primary) …show more content…
Descartes states, “Natural things are not composed of matter alone, since if that were so, a human being, a stone and a lion, being made of the same matter, would all have the same essence and definition” (26). Descartes argues that humans are clearly and distinctively different from everything else. The difference is seen in Descartes definition of a soul. The distinct characteristic that sets apart the scholastics belief and Descartes belief is, a soul that must have the traits of a mind in order to be considered a substance worthy of a soul. The mind is capable of thought, in which can be modified into the mind being able to doubt, desire, and hold beliefs. These are core traits that allows the ability to categorizes objects to have a soul and objects that do not have a soul. An object must also have the desire to acquire continual knowledge, as it is depicted in Descartes Search for Truth. The curiosity that is within humans for knowledge sets the distinction for things that are known to have souls and non-souls. Furthermore, the distinction that is also made by Descartes about humans only having souls is the ability for humans to be considered a thinking thing and there is nothing else that is able to think as humans can. Descartes states, “a substance whose whole essence or nature is simply to think. The soul that makes what I am”. Descartes refers back to the concept that the soul is what makes him what he is. The idea that the his whole purpose in life is to think, and the ability to think is the key concept that he believes makes a soul. Since humans are the only thing that can think as Descartes believes, it is true that only human can be characterized as being a substance that is known to have a
The scholastics interpretation of the soul is based on "the doctrine of body in terms of (primary) …show more content…
Descartes states, “Natural things are not composed of matter alone, since if that were so, a human being, a stone and a lion, being made of the same matter, would all have the same essence and definition” (26). Descartes argues that humans are clearly and distinctively different from everything else. The difference is seen in Descartes definition of a soul. The distinct characteristic that sets apart the scholastics belief and Descartes belief is, a soul that must have the traits of a mind in order to be considered a substance worthy of a soul. The mind is capable of thought, in which can be modified into the mind being able to doubt, desire, and hold beliefs. These are core traits that allows the ability to categorizes objects to have a soul and objects that do not have a soul. An object must also have the desire to acquire continual knowledge, as it is depicted in Descartes Search for Truth. The curiosity that is within humans for knowledge sets the distinction for things that are known to have souls and non-souls. Furthermore, the distinction that is also made by Descartes about humans only having souls is the ability for humans to be considered a thinking thing and there is nothing else that is able to think as humans can. Descartes states, “a substance whose whole essence or nature is simply to think. The soul that makes what I am”. Descartes refers back to the concept that the soul is what makes him what he is. The idea that the his whole purpose in life is to think, and the ability to think is the key concept that he believes makes a soul. Since humans are the only thing that can think as Descartes believes, it is true that only human can be characterized as being a substance that is known to have a