Are We Bodies or Souls?

What are humans? What makes us who we are?

Many think that we are just complicated machines, or animals that are different from machines only by being conscious. In Are We Bodies or Souls? Richard Swinburne comes to the defence of the soul and presents new philosophical arguments that are supported by modern neuroscience. When scientific advances enable neuroscientists to transplant a part of brain into a new body, he reasons, no matter how much we can find out about their brain activity or conscious experiences we will never know whether the resulting person is the same as before or somebody entirely new. Swinburne thus argues that we are immaterial souls sustained in existence by our brains. Sensations, thoughts, and intentions are conscious events in our souls that cause events in our brains. While scientists might discover some of the laws of nature that determine conscious events and brain events, each person's soul is an individual thing and this is what ultimately makes us who we are.

What are humans? What makes us who we are? 0Many think that we are just complicated machines, or animals that are different from machines only by being conscious. In Are We Bodies or Souls? Richard Swinburne comes to the defence of the soul and presents new philosophical arguments that are supported by modern neuroscience. When scientific advances enable neuroscientists to transplant a part of brain into a new body, he reasons, no matter how much we can find out about their brain activity or conscious experiences we will never know whether the resulting person is the same as before or somebody entirely new. Swinburne thus argues that we are immaterial souls sustained in existence by our brains. Sensations, thoughts, and intentions are conscious events in our souls that cause events in our brains. While scientists might discover some of the laws of nature that determine conscious events and brain events, each person's soul is an individual thing and this is what ultimately makes us who we are.

One can only admire the erudition, philosophical acumen, and fair-mindedness with which [Swinburne] defends his position. Swinburne is in that class of thinkers from whom one always learns much, even when one ends up having to disagree. -- Edward Feser, First Things

Swinburne is seriously analytical in his treatment of rival theories and the evidence for them ... Swinburne's argument is clear, assured, and unapologetic -- Rt Revd Dr John Saxbee, former Bishop of Lincoln, Church Times

It is worth the careful attention it demands. -- Church of England Newspaper

An illuminating book. -- Paradigm Explorer

Richard Swinburne is a dualist of long standing, in the tradition of Descartes, and in this book he offers a comprehensive exposition and defense of the position, which makes its philosophical motivation clear. Even those who are not persuaded can be grateful to Swinburne for explaining the distinctive appeal of this significant view . . . If Swinburne is right, we know who we are. If he is wrong, his arguments show that our natural sense of ourselves includes a large dose of stubborn illusion. -- Thomas Nagel, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

I strongly recommend this book to any readers who are interested in the philosophical theme of substance dualism and all those who are familiar with his earlier books on this theme ... Swinburne takes care to evaluate Descartes and his thought in detail by identifying and bringing to light what he considers the errors manifested in his thought. -- Naveen George o.f.m, ESSSAT News & Reviews