A class I’m currently enrolled in is Psychology and Everyday Life. While they may imply the course to be general overview of psychology as it applies to everyone, the course is actually quite broad in its material covered. We’re currently discussing neuroscience in the class, and my professor mentioned Aristotle’s belief in the soul and mind being a united entity. She explained it was no longer the case in modern psychology to see the mind as anything other than biological. I then asked her if psychology has developed any theories as to the existence of the soul, but her answer has been destroying me throughout the rest of today. Psychology denies the existence of a soul. The idea has me questioning whether anything we do is honestly meaningful since, according to science, we are no different from livestock. We live to breed and then die. Why should a person even try if psychology is right? Life is meaningless, and I don’t know what to say. I go to a Christian university, but the idea of the soul being non-existent poses a severe threat to the faith. If there is no soul, how could there be a ressurection? If after life there is nothing but death, then what is even the purpose of living?
Pretty broad question. I personally do not believe in the soul and am an atheist. I believe that the life you see here is all we’ve got. I personally find that very inspiring —it really motivates me to try to make sure we take care of the planet and of other people (both those I know well and those I don’t). I think the earth is a pretty great place and I have other human beings that I love. (And pets). I find these things well worth living for. There isn’t going to be another chance in some afterlife, IMHO. So I try to make every day I’ve got here count for something. You, if course, will hear varying opinions on this topic. ?
I’m with intparent. Something doesn’t have to last forever to have meaning and value. Think of all of the things in your life that have already come and gone - relationships, pets, vacations, the slice of pie you ate today, etc. Because they didn’t last forever, do they not have meaning or value…to you. And if you’re referring to grander meaning, I’m actually glad there’s no scoreboard somewhere in the universe. I’m not sure we’d want to know our ranking.
Perhaps as your get several more decades of living under your belt, you may realize that one life of 80 or so years is plenty to enjoy. I dont have the energy for eternity.
Lastly, consider this…What better option do you have than living one finite life the best that you can? Life is a fleeting gift (yours and others’) - don’t squander it.
Rather than just take the word of one psychology professor, why not do some studying about psychology and faith and psychology and religion. I think you’ll find some interest articles and the divide is probably not as black and white as you are interpreting it to be.
Hi @SolarGoat. I just wanted to offer you some words of encouragement. Many famous scientists, artists, composers and writers believed in a Creator. Google them (e.g., Boyle, Copernicus, Michelangelo, Raphael, Handel, Vivaldi, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, etc.) and see who they are and read their uplifting quotes. Here’s just one quote I found from someone I’m sure you’re familiar with: “Don’t doubt the Creator, because it is inconceivable that accidents alone could be the controller of this universe.” ~ Sir Isaac Newton
Personally, like Newton, I find it harder to believe that all this order came from such chaos. We can’t see the wind but we know it exists. We can’t see the love we have for someone but we know what’s in our hearts; that’s where Faith comes in. “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
No one can prove or disprove His existence and debates often times end up becoming a tennis match with both sides going back and forth making their points. One day, when we die, we’ll have the answer and one side will be right and the other side will be wrong. I figure, if I’m wrong it doesn’t matter anyway. I’ll be just like all the others who lived before me according to a prescribed philosophy or belief system (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Gaianism, Atheism, Agnosticism, etc., etc.). But…, what if I’m not wrong?
Psychology might deny th existence of a soul, but you dont have to. I’m an atheist. I believe psychology. I believe I have a soul. There’s no problem with your belief.
“Psychology denies the existence of a soul.”
You might want to read “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” by Carl Jung. The last that I heard Jung was still respected by psychologists, and he certainly believed in the soul.
I don’t see how psychology can deny the existence of the soul any more than a fish can deny the existence of Pluto. A fish certainly could say that it has seen no evidence that Pluto exists, but that doesn’t mean that it should be expected to have any evidence. They are simply operating on different levels.
I am very confident that there is more after death. I am aware that not everyone agrees with me, but then someone somewhere doesn’t agree with me on pretty much any point that I might care to think about.
Psychology, IMHO, is indifferent to souls. Questions of religion are outside the purview of science, being neither provable nor disprovable.
Sign up for a philosophy or religion course next year.
Modern Psychology may study how the biology of the mind influences how we behave.
That does not mean there is or is not souls.
@OP - I remember the freshman humanities lecture at the LAC I attended where the professor said, very authoritatively, that Jesus was a Hellenistic deity and not a historical person. This may well be true, but ultimately all we have are words, e.g. “soul” and names, e.g. “Jesus”. What do these ideas map to? If an Amazon shaman says that his potion “repels evil spirits”, maybe that really maps to “kills microorganisms” and he or she actually has a deep understanding of reality but was just poorly translated. Psychology doesn’t “deny the existence of a soul”, Psychology doesn’t know, or care, anything about what the concept of “soul” might map to in a scientific context. I think that resolving this would be an outstanding line of inquiry. (Although getting published might be problematic.) Anyway, don’t be overly discouraged by anything a professor might say. Most advances in science faced similar obstacles.
Edit: @SolarGoat - apart from the epistemology, the value of our lives absolutely does not depend on them being immortal. What value would eternal life have if the individual moments had no value? Since the individual moments have value, therefore a finite collection of moments also has value. QED. Enjoy college!
I’m currently enrolled in an Old Testament class, and I’ll eventually have to take a New Testament class along with theology and philosophy. I have often considered the literality of Christianity. Is it in fact a metaphor for the natural world, or is it as mythical as it sounds? I’m unsure. To the people who said psychology doesn’t have the right to prove or disprove the soul, you are absolutely correct. My biology professor made the same comment last semester in regards to the scientific attempts at proving and disproving God. It is simply not something science can do because God can’t be falsified under any circumstances. It is also true for the soul or anything ethereal. I must admit though, my faith has been shaken during the last few weeks, and I’ve really had to evaluate what I believe in. For the people who may be familiar with philosophy or philosophy classes, which class do you think I’d benefit from more, Introduction to Philosophy or Ethics?
It’s a good thing to question your beliefs. It may cause you to turn away from them, but may also strengthen them.
With regards to classes, I think in this area it’s the professor who counts more. Find out who are the best ones and take their classes.
@yucca10, I know it may be hard to believe, but the professor is the exact same for both classes.
Then Intro to Philosophy may be better because it gives you wider foundation,as opposed to Ethics which studies just one area of philosophy. Or just read some books yourself.
Seeking is uncomfortable at times. Even Mother Theresa experienced it.