Is the human soul a passenger or a part of the body?
In short: Philosopher Eleonore Stump explores Thomas Aquinas' complex view on whether our essence can survive death. This discussion moves beyond simple dualism to examine how humans are fundamentally embodied creatures with subsistent souls.
Stump examines the Thomistic perspective that human beings are not merely spirits inhabiting bodies, but are fundamentally embodied creatures. However, this framework allows for a soul that is 'subsistent,' meaning it possesses its own existence and is capable of surviving death until the eventual resurrection.
This distinction matters because it challenges the binary between radical dualism—where the mind and body are entirely separate—and physicalism, which denies any existence beyond the biological. It offers a nuanced middle ground for understanding human identity after life ends.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Can the Soul Exist Without the Body? | Eleonore Stump
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