Preparing for the Cartesian Storms

Christians love to talk about the life of the Spirit and the distinction between soul and body. In fact, its the Cartesian distinction between soul and body that has allowed some to reconcile evolution and Christian faith -- that is, the body may have evolved, but the soul is the creation of God.
So, Richard Beck asks, what happens when this Cartesian dualism is no longer tenable.

The trouble is, due to the rise of psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral genetics, scope for the soul--quintessential Mindstuff--is being greatly circumscribed if not eliminated from educated discourse altogether. That is, the doctrine of the "ghost in the machine," a pejorative way of describing the idea that you have a "soul" inhabiting or interacting with your body/brain, is growing increasingly untenable in the age of neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral genetics. We are living in what I call the post-Cartesian situation. Living in the aftermath of the demise of dualism.

And yet, theologians and contemporary Christians still refer the the "soul" and "spirit" as if nothing is amiss. As a Christian psychologist I live with this tension on a daily basis. This tension has forced me to think about theological categories and systems in a post-Cartesian fashion. The implications are huge and, for many, disturbing. Yet, I see no other option for us. We cannot go back and neuroscience will continue its reductionistic advance. In short, you think the Faith vs. Evolution debates are hot? Wait until the Christian community broadly wakes up to the post-Cartesian crisis! Johnny will not only learn that he is descended from primates in the classroom. He'll also learn in biology that he has no soul. Speaking of the soul will be like speaking of Santa Claus. How are Mom and Dad and the Preacher going to react to that?

Ah, yes, that is a difficulty, and apparently it's already at our doorstep. Beck, a psychology prof at Abilene Christian University, is at work on solutions. We'll need to pay attention!

Comments

Mike L. said…
This is an important issue for me. My biggest struggle in Christianity is that so many people have a hard time letting go of this duality centered line of thinking. For them the word "spirit" becomes such a literal ghost-like being that lives inside our bodies. I just don't get it.
Mystical Seeker said…
I'm not a philosopher, although I am aware that it was Gilbert Ryle who coined the phrase "Ghost in the Machine" as a put down of Cartesian dualism. One of the things I liked about Whiteheadian metaphysics (process philosophy) was that it also rejected the idea of Cartesian dualism, and proposed that free will was integrated into the very fabric of the universe.

Popular Posts