Blog #6

I believe that in some way we do survive death, even if it is simply as fertilizer for a nearby flower. There are, however, beliefs and arguments that state the exact opposite, that once our brains stop functioning our consciousness is lost and therefore we cease to exist.

I don't believe this is the case. Although our consciousness is a result of memories and chemical reactions that occur within the brain, I am inclined to believe that what drives us emotionally is attached to something greater than a physical mass. There are sensations we experience emotionally that seem connected to a greater source, for example, love. Love is not simply a learned behavior, which would suggest that it is innate. If there were nothing greater for humans to experience outside of this life, what would be it's purpose, love? It contradicts any suggestions of survival since you don't need to love to survive.

Blog #5

Do We Survive Death?

Yes I believe that we do survive death. You want my convincing argument? Well I don't have one. There is no real concrete evidence to support this theory nor to disprove it. Scientists are working to prove that consciousness does not extend beyond the physical realm. Quantum mechanics is being used to explain the metaphysical and new age idea that we can control our own destiny with a simple thought. Nihilism, atheism, psychics, near death testimonials all scramble to find a way to define what we presently do not know. 

I am comfortable with the candle idea (see blog #3). By the time the outline for my 6 page paper on my belief that we do survive death is due, I hope to have a new and exciting scientific break thru to support my ideas. What? I still have like 6 days.

I need to remove my name from this blog before I pull out all my hokey beliefs to back up my opinion on this matter.

What will my peers think?

Blog #4

Theism -  is the belief in one or more divinities or deities. There are many forms of theism but at its root there are generally teachings that support a belief in the after life.

Atheism- is a rejection of theism that affirms the non-existence of a god or gods. Most generally, a person that subscribes to atheistic beliefs would not believe in life after death.

Nihilism- is a philosophical position which argues that existence is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Nihilism, like atheism, lends itself to the belief that there is nothing greater that exists that can be communicated to explain a significance in human existence. Therefore belief in an after life is pointless.

Metaphysics- is a branch of philosophy that investigates principles of reality that transcend any particular science. It is concerned with explaining the ultimate nature of being and the world. It serves as a sort of umbrella for theories that have a scientific approach to explaining what we do not know about after life and the nature of existence.

Reincarnation - is the belief that the essential part of a living being survives death to be reborn into a new body. Although it is considered a religion, there are some varieties of Buddhism that do not include the belief in a personal god. They do however belief in rebirth after death.

Rachels, James. Rachels, Stuart. Problems from Philosophy. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009, 2005.

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Blog #3

The discussion of life after death is a question that in this lifetime may never be answered. So it remains a constant banter of beliefs and opinions between scientists, philosophers, religious and non religious leaders, and most people that have the capacity to understand the concept.


For the time being, since we have no concrete proof that there is life after death we have the option to explore different theories to arrive at our own. Some are spiritually motivated by the fear of eternal damnation to find acceptance while others are motivated by science to prove or disprove one theory or another. I believe most of us are motivated by intuition.


The link below is to a video in which one man poses his theory that life after death is in fact a reality but from a more scientific point of view. He explains that we are experiencing this life through a certain vibrational frequency similar to radio waves. If you turn the dial on a radio station you pick up a new frequency. Human life is just one level of consciousness (or vibrational pattern) and the passing through this life is an evolutionary step to the next vibrational level.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hCDhAK-BL0

Blog #2

http://www.ws5.com/nihilism/summary

This website offers a summary of an essay written on Nihilism. Nihilism is the belief that human existence is without purpose or higher meaning. It is written by a non-nihilist with the purpose of explaining and arguing against the concept. It relates to my chosen topic "Do We Survive Death" in that life after death would not exist under its pretense. It basically states that the physical death of a human being marks the end of its existence. The author further explains his position by using the theory of relativity coupled with quantum physics to discuss time and space issues. It is a rather difficult essay to understand with the addition of these two highly influential and complicating subjects.

http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth28.html

"What about the analogy of the candle? Even in the analogy, the light does not go out; it goes up. It is still traveling through space, observable from other planets. It 'goes out' as a child goes out to play; it is liberated." This quote, taken from the above listed website was used to argue the belief in life after death. I think the authors use of this analogy helps to better understand the law of physics when used to explain existence. We know that we have the choice to either believe in life after death or not. For most of us, we have spent a lot of energy trying to justify our beliefs in the after life outside of our intuition to do so. Angles like these help me to grasp the meaning behind the energy that comprises our being.

"Primitive Man has two cows. One dies. What is the difference between Dead Cow and Live Cow? Primitive man looks. (He's really quite bright.) There appears no material difference in size or weight immediately upon death. Yet there is an enormous difference; something is missing. What? Life, of course. And what is that? The answer is obvious to any intelligent observer whose head is not clouded with theories: life is what makes Live Cow breathe. Life is breath. (The word for 'soul', or 'life', and 'breath' is the same in many ancient languages.) Soul is not air, which is still in Dead Cow's lungs, but the power to move it." This quote, also taken from the same essay, I thought was poignant. Philosophy is becoming more and more to me, a way to tear subject matter into a billion pieces and analyze each piece. This quote is analogous to the process it takes to provide a solid logical argument.

http://lifeafterdeath.info/Philosophical.htm

The following quote was taken from the aforementioned website. "Also, as others have theorized, the past, present, and future may be simultaneously occurring." This same concept was presented in the first website I looked at. Nihilism supports the belief that life ends at death and there is no future self. If there is no future self, how could there have been a past or present self? I believe this is where relativity and physics come into the picture. For me, a better understanding of the sciences is necessary to further weigh this option.

This particular essay was written by Harinder S. Sandhu who's own opinion is that the evidence we are given although arguable lends itself in favor of the belief that life after death does in fact exist. I do not believe that his essay is very explicative but I did find it interesting that the quote above was one of his more convincing statements. The fact that it was also mentioned in the Nihilist essay proves that it is a concept worthy of more in depth understanding on my behalf.

Blog #1

One of the thirteen chapters from "Problems from Philosophy" that I find interesting is Chapter 4. Do We Survive Death? The idea of the immortal soul poses an argument of morality that determines how we live our lives. Are we obligated to live morally and ethically based on what happens to our soul after death? Generally people behave based on their faith. If one believes in life after death they tend to be aware of and responsible for thier behaviors with the fear consequence. Some religions teach that a life lived with disregard to it's tenets will burn in a firey hell while others teach reincarnation over and over till a soul reaches enlightmenment. Some people who may not adhere to any particular faith may behave in a manner of total disregard for ethics and morality without any fear of consequence.

Chapter 6. Body And Mind also interests me for some of the same reasons. Are our bodies and minds seperate from one another? The separation of body and mind suggests that we have another level of consiousness to be responsible for. Is our mind the same as our soul? Or are we simply the result of all of our life experiences processed by a computer like mechanism, a brain. In order to live spiritually in nature we have to be able to think outside of concrete experience. If the two are separte what is our obligation to the soul/mind? Do we serve a higher purpose other than our simple daily existence? What actually makes a human being happy?