The Evolution of the Soul by Richard Swinburne

The Evolution of the Soul by Richard Swinburne

"The Evolution of the Soul" is based on the author's 1982-84 Gifford Lectures at the University of Aberdeen, in which he expounded his argument that men have evolved from animals, and animals from inanimate matter, but what has evolved is qualitatively different from the inanimate matter from which it began. Both men and the higher animals have a mental life of sensation, thought, purpose, desire and belief. Although these mental states in part cause, and are caused by, brain states, they are distinct from them. We can only make sense of this interaction by supposing that mental states are states of a soul, a mental substance in interaction with the body. Although both have a rich mental life, human souls, unlike animal souls, are capable of logical thought, have moral beliefs, have free will, and have an internal structure (so that their beliefs and desires are formed largely by other beliefs and desires inherent in the soul). There is no full scientific explanation available for the evolution of the soul, and almost certainly there never will be.

Richard Swinburne, University of Oxford

Richard Swinburne has taught at many universities in the UK and in various foreign countries, and continues to give lectures abroad frequently since his retirement. From 1972 to 1984 he was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Keele, after which he was Professor of Philosophy of Religion in
the University of Oxford. He has written many books and papers on many areas of philosophy, especially philosophy of religion, and is a Fellow of the British Academy.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780198244837
ISBN 10	0198244835
Title	The Evolution of the Soul
Author	Richard Swinburne
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Year published	1987-11-01
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.