Mind-Body Dualism and Orthodoxy

ReturnOrthodoxy

Hello all,

I was wondering what the orthodox view on mind (soul) body dualism is. The believe that there is an immaterial substance to humans outside the physical constructs of the body. Where does modern science stand on this? Consider for example a person and his clone. Would the two be different people, or the same people?

Ray

minasoliman

[quote author=ReturnOrthodoxy link=topic=14469.msg164970#msg164970 date=1370479441]
Hello all,

I was wondering what the orthodox view on mind (soul) body dualism is. The believe that there is an immaterial substance to humans outside the physical constructs of the body. Where does modern science stand on this? Consider for example a person and his clone. Would the two be different people, or the same people?

Ray
Mind-body dualism is only a contemplative understanding in the Church fathers as far as I understand.  But in any sense, at this point, the "immaterial" aspect when described by the Church fathers precisely seems to make it "untestable" and thus, science wouldn't be able to prove or disprove it.  The only thing science can show is what has been identified with intellect or life or spirituality can be in some way or another be "physically" explained.  That doesn't negate the "immaterial" nature, but certainly may lead to a tendency to explain it away.

Would the two clones be different people?  The answer is inconclusive.  Looking at identical twin studies (separated at birth), there are indications where personalities do mesh, while other indications where personalities can be completely different.  So, the whole "nature vs. nurture" debate becomes prominent and many scientists just rest on an understanding that it's a multifactorial issue (nature AND nurture) when it comes to shaping and development of personalities, even among identical twins. 

But this makes no difference on the idea of whether there is an immaterial nature or not.  I suppose if science was forced to describe what the "rational soul" is, it would be a complex array of neural synapses developing a pattern of behavior in reacting to its internal capabilities and its surroundings (which if anything, extends this definition to the animal world...we just happen to be "the most complex" of synapses).  Just as no two souls are "the same" so to speak despite the same essential characteristics of the soul, neither are two brains wired "the same" either despite the same essential characteristics of the human brain.  Perhaps in a Christian spiritual setting, the brain can be likened as a mirror or seat of the soul.