tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228544473034487906.post2246794761430807639..comments2016-05-22T16:15:24.448-07:00Comments on The Atheist's Way: What are we?Eric Maiselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03616912091956978071noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228544473034487906.post-72005971314673563582008-10-09T18:13:00.000-07:002008-10-09T18:13:00.000-07:00I really like the way you put this, writerdd. Tha...I really like the way you put this, writerdd. Thanks.Saganisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12935512878581351503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228544473034487906.post-46197882401349036402008-10-02T09:43:00.000-07:002008-10-02T09:43:00.000-07:00"We humans certainly do have souls, something that..."We humans certainly do have souls, something that makes us different than other animals, something unique and amazing and wonderful." Have you asked any non-human animals about this? If it were possible to do so, don't you think a dog or a squirrel might say exactly the same thing?<BR/><BR/>My point is this: There are certainly things about being human that are statistically quite unusual with respect to the rest of the animal kingdom. But it's probably a mistake to assume that those things are the same as a <I>feeling</I> that you have about your own consciousness.<BR/><BR/>You feel that you are a spirit or have a soul because evolution equipped you with a brain that stumbles readily into that bit of nonsense.Jim Aikinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04071987612981705235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228544473034487906.post-8451199189491141662008-10-02T01:41:00.000-07:002008-10-02T01:41:00.000-07:00Thanks! I've added to my very long list of books t...Thanks! I've added to my very long list of books to check out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228544473034487906.post-41697272921117425492008-10-01T14:11:00.000-07:002008-10-01T14:11:00.000-07:00Michael, There's some really interesting stuff on ...Michael, There's some really interesting stuff on the "soul" in Douglas Hofstadter's book "I Am A Strange Loop".<BR/><BR/>Justin, The difference is just in experience I think, hence the idea that this is metaphorical. I don't exist apart from my body, but I feel like I do.Donna Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12456352318216873030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228544473034487906.post-15002852930030743512008-10-01T13:20:00.000-07:002008-10-01T13:20:00.000-07:00Sentience is truly mystical, and it's real! Which...Sentience is truly mystical, and it's real! Which I like.<BR/><BR/>It seems that we can connect memory and personality to our physical brains to such and extent that the idea of those things surviving our brain's demise isn't workable. So whence comes the soul?<BR/><BR/>And yet, that I exist apart from my physical body is something I have a hard time shaking. So yeah, spirit, soul, body. But what's the difference, really?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228544473034487906.post-26070350672493454282008-10-01T11:46:00.000-07:002008-10-01T11:46:00.000-07:00Reminds me of a talk Dan Dennett gave about how on...Reminds me of a talk Dan Dennett gave about how one of his article about human consciousness was translated into Italian to be titled "There is a Soul But it's Made of Lots of Tiny Robots"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com