Analysis Of Swinburne's 'The Prince And The Cobbler'

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Classical Dualism²
(SWINBURNE’S VIEW) For Swinburne’s argument dualism is defined as the view that there are just two mutually irreducible substances that are either material or mental. Swinburne’s Argument follows as it is logically possible for a person to continue to exist without their body, but with that it can be ambiguous and the interpretation can be considered to be qualitative identity with his first premise. His second premise follows as if one’s mind is an immaterial substance, also known as the soul, and is continuing to exist without someone’s body as a possibility then one can continues to exist if their mind continues to exist. This can easily be related to Locke’s “The Prince and the Cobbler” story outline where the soul of …show more content…

Through this exchange is that the prince still considers himself the prince, even though he finds himself in a new body, the Cobbler. Swinburne’s third premise is that if someone does not have an immaterial mind, then they will continuing to exist without their body is not a possibility. With the second and third premises in mind it is possible to conclude that someone must have an immaterial mind it must live with a body. Swinburne’s argument goes with part of the diachronic personal identity for someone’s soul to exist in there only body would be numerical identity, while for someone to exist out of there body would fall under the qualitative identity. His argument brings up the possibility “that souls can not be divided” through classical dualism (NITP 557). In Swinburne argument, he views the soul has the essential part of a human and that the soul …show more content…

The soul is linked to a body and through our bodies it can hold our apparent memories of the past that can give us evidence of our identity over time with diachronic personal identity theory. We typically identify people by things like their physical appearance and the sound of their voice, but it is hard to personally identify someone in terms of physical appearance and sameness of voice. Therefore, it can be explained in terms of our memories and sameness of our brains. On the psychological theory, which explains personal identity in terms of apparent memory, but to explain why my apparent memories justify me in believing that the same immaterial soul has been attached to my body for the duration of my life. Therefore, Swinburne’s counter argument is based on memory and perception based on the body. With memory playing into an effect, the certain religions that specify that the soul will live on into reincarnation is a slim chance and that know could know for sure if it is absolutely

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