Gain the world and lose your soul? Reconsidering soul talk in Christian Anthropology.

摘要

How a person views their metaphysical make-up greatly influences the course of their life, whether an emphasis should be placed on, for instance, this-worldly or otherworldly concerns (e.g., to neglect the body at the expense of cultivating the soul). From the perspective of Christian Anthropology, this study illustrates how a non-reductive physicalist anthropology is more consistent with the Gospel, as well as recent neuroscientific discoveries about the human person, proposing that a more this-worldly concern is the more faithful approach. First the study gives a historical anthropological overview, and then explores neuroscientific knowledge about the role of feelings and emotions, how they provide a link between what has traditionally been considered the boundary between the physical and mental. Additionally, it explores how these discoveries correlate to proposals about the soul from Thomas Aquinas. Finally, this paper will propose how adapting a non-reductive physicalist anthropology could impact Catholic doctrinal interpretations.