Human nature and the human condition

Religious view on body and soul

What is body and soul?

Buddhism• Two key principles that apply to everything, including

humans.

• Anatta• everything that is physical, from machines to the

human body• Without ‘self’ and without soul

• Anicca• Everything is in a constant state of flux – i.e. nothing is

permanent and nothing ever ultimately ceases to exist• Think of a decomposing leaf

The five khandhas

These five things make up a person• Form• Feeling• Perception • Mental formation• Consciousness

• The five khandas• The sutras describe five aggregates:[d]

• Form - external and internal matter. Externally, rupa is the physical world. Internally, rupa includes the material body and the physical sense organs.[f]• Feeling - sensing an object as either pleasant or

unpleasant or neutral• Perception - registers whether an object is recognized or

not (for instance, the sound of a bell or the shape of a tree).• Mental formations - all types of mental habits, thoughts,

ideas, opinions, prejudices, compulsions, and decisions triggered by an object.• Consciousness – existence

The five khandhas

• The five khandhas all involve grasping. As we can never be truly satisfied, to attempt to grasp and ultimately fail causes suffering. Therefore, the khandhas are suffering – dukkha.

Hinduism

• Atman – a person’s spiritual being, distinct from the person and spiritual body.• The ultimate goal is for the atman to be reunited

with Brahman.

Hinduism• The three Gunas Associated with:• Sattwa – Goodness Creation• Rajas – Passion Preservation• Tamas - Darkness Destruction

• They are the three universal principles. The whole universe functions according to these three gunas.

• In a person, they are three tendencies• A tendency towards goodness, purity, order - Sattwa• A tendency towards change, dynamism, movement – Rajas• A tendency towards ignorance, delusion, laziness

Write an essay…• Outlining the Buddhist and Hindu beliefs about the nature of

humans. You must include the following

• anicca• anatta• The five khandhas• atman• The three gunas

Christian views• All humans have a soul. This is taught in the

Bible and by the Church. • Souls are immortal. They will live on in heaven

or hell after death of the body.• CS Lewis – you do not have a soul, you are a soul

and you have a body• St Augustine - "a special substance, endowed

with reason, adapted to rule the body".• Souls are not separate things trapped in bodies.

Humans are body and soul. The body is still important as it is a creation of God.

Islam – nafs and qalb

NafsThe self, controlled by emotions.This is the person you are.

Being controlled by emotions, it can function at both a high level and a low level, depending on the individual.

Qalb• The spiritual heart containing the divine

spark and the source of goodness within a person. The goal is to develop this part of the self

Its task is to control the emotions of the psychological part of the self, the nafs, and guide the person towards the spirit (ruh).

Humanists• There is no soul – this is a conceptual error• The mind and body are one. The mind is simply the

functioning of the brain.• Mind and personality are conditioned by genetic

inheritance and the social environment.

• This is a monistic view, since body and mind are one.

Task

• Form an argument to present to the group.• What are your views on body and soul? Relate

your views to at least one we have looked at in class.• If your view is similar in some ways but different

in others, then explain that.• Most convincing argument wins!• An argument that is presented logically, argued

persuasively and supported with evidence is a strong argument.

General summary

• Some religious people believe the soul is immortal• This is tied up with the belief in an afterlife. If people

believe in life after death then they must believe in an immortal soul that can live on after the death of the body.

• The belief that there is nothing other than the physical word is called physicalism. • One example of physicalism is Humanism. Humanists

believe there is no distinction between the self and the physical body. This is known as monism.

Discuss

• Why do some people believe in a soul? What evidence is there for the existence of a soul?

Selfishness, greed, ignorance and sin

What kind of injustices are there in the world?

Task

• Choose one of these issues and research for the next 10 mins. Explain to the rest of the class what you have found out.

Why are people selfish, greedy, ignorant and sinful?

Christianity• The first sin and the inherited guilt

Read Genesis 3• What was the punishment for the sin?• How is the whole of humanity affected?• What does this say about the Christian

understanding of humans and God?

Free will vs determinism• In some early Christian thought, it was believed

that God had already planned your fate even before you were born.• St Augustine – the damned and the elect.

Free will• Belief in free will is central to Christian beliefs.• Why do you think this is? Consider issues that

would arise if free will did not exist.

How is it we are all blamed for Adam’s sin?• All humans were seminally present in Adam.• We all carry the burden of ORIGINAL SIN.• Catholics believe this is washed away at baptism.• What we have inherited is a tendency to sin.

How do humans escape sin?

• Jesus, the son of God, came to earth as a sacrifice for the sins of humans.

• Because of his sacrifice, God has granted UNIVERSAL SALVATION.

Christianity - summary

• People sin because of original sin• This is washed away at baptism and people are

saved by Jesus• Sin is therefore something that can be inherited,

but can also be overcome.• The source of evil is the devil• People are able to sin because God granted free

will• Without free will people would be like puppets

Buddhism• Kilesa – the three poisons

• 1) lobha: greed, lust (rāga), attachment;• 2) dosa: hatred, aversion;• 3) : avijjā: delusion, sloth, ignorance.

avijjādosa

lobha

The three poisons - kilesa

• These poisons are mental states that take over the mind.

They are the causes of suffering.

The root cause of suffering is avijjā (ignorance), which leads to lobha (greed) and dosa (hatred).

Answer this question in your assessment books.• ‘The cause of human wrongdoing lies with humans

themselves.’Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing that you have considered another point of view. In your answer, you should refer to at least one named religion.

Refer to Christianity and Buddhism in your answer.• 5 marks

Task

•Mark each other’s preps•Mark out of five•Write two comments – WWW and EBI

Hinduism• Avidya and Maya

• There is eternal life with Brahman outside this cycle of samsara. The world we see is not everything. Avidya is ignorance of this spiritual truth.• Maya is illusion; specifically the illusion of the world

we can see. It clouds our understanding of Brahman, like a fog between us and the ultimate reality. This happens because of Avidya (ignorance).• If we gain knowledge (vidya) this fog is cleared and we

can understand our world for what it is and look beyond to Brahman.

Because of Avidya (ignorance), her judgment of what can bring happiness has been clouded by illusion, Maya

Islam • The greatest sin of all – shirk and kufr

• Shirk – associating partners with God.• Kufr - unbelief

Shirk

•Not necessarily belief in multiple Gods.•Anything which takes the place of

worshipping Allah.

• For example…

Worshipping money and other material things

Worshipping celebrity

Worshipping the self

Worshipping technology

Kufr

• Unbelief will result in Shirk• Since Allah will exist regardless of whether you

acknowledge that or not, if you do not believe then something else will have to take Allah’s place.• This will result in Shirk in that you will be

worshipping someone or something else in the place of Allah.

Non-religious moralityConsider the following…The driver of a runaway tram is faced with a difficult decision.He can turn left or right.If he turns left he will collide with five workers.If he turns right, he will collide with one worker.Which way should he turn?

Non religious teachings on wrongdoing•Utilitarianism is a form of

consequentialism

• The right action will be determined by the outcome.• The right action is that which causes the least

amount of suffering.• The right action is that which maximises happiness

overall.• Therefore an action is not good or bad in itself, but

the result is good or bad.

Utilitarianism

•Wrongdoing and suffering therefore lies in selfish behaviour where the wellbeing of the majority is not considered.

Humanism

• People cause harm to others because of their own selfishness.• It is possible to form an ethical code based on

history, education and personal experience.• Without these things, people are ignorant and

therefore cause suffering to others.• People do not do wrong because of God, the

devil or past sins.• Wrongdoing comes from us and can therefore be

changed by us.

Humans do wrong because

• They are selfish – all 4 + non religious• They are greedy – all 4 + non religious• They are ignorant: Hinduism, Buddhism

and Humanism• They are sinful: Islam and Christianity