Page 61 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 13

tinue to be mounted in philosophy (Lavazza & From Swinburne, I had come to appreciate the
Robinson, 2016), philosophical theology (Mo- cogency of arguments against reductionism
reland, 2009, Moreland & Rae, 2000, Swinbur- even in this age of neuroscience. From the
ne, 2013), and theology (Cooper, 2000; Loftin & debate, I learned how connected are issues of
Farris, 2018). post-death survival of the person and the stand
Many contemporary defenses of dualism take one takes on human constitution. As Cooper
pains to distinguish themselves from the Carte- (2000) has passionately argued, monistic phy-
sian stereotype in favor of what Cooper (2000) sicalism has great difficulty accounting for an
calls a holistic dualism. Cooper argues that “a intermediate state of persons after death. While
holistic-dualistic anthropology is not obviously some Christian monists have attempted to ar-
incompatible with the findings of establishment gue that forms of non-reductive physicalism
science or with various contemporary approa- are not defeated by the problem of personali-
ches to philosophy” (n.p.). Similarly, Erickson ty identity (viz., Murphy, 2006), this remains
(2013) concludes that “The full range of the Bib- a point of contention (Loftin & Farris, 2018).
lical data can best be accommodated by the view Issues of personal identity may also be a chal-
that we will term “conditional unity.” According lenge even for monists that allow for resur-
to this view, the normal state of a human is as an rection. Consider the following hypothetical:
embodied unitary being. In Scripture humans imagine that a clone of Jones was created while
are so addressed and regarded. …this monistic Jones is still living. In this case, the clone me-
condition can, however, be broken down, and thod allowed a clone to be made with the same
at death it is, so that the immaterial aspect of phenomenal field, memories, apparent age, and
the human lives on even as the material” (n.p.). otherwise identical appearing body up to the
Even those defending contemporary varieties of moment of the clone’s creation. Imagine also
Cartesian substance dualism (viz., Swinburne, that clone was made while the Jones was under
2013) allow for holistic emphases about the hu- general anesthesia. Now its just so happens that
man person. both the original Jones and the clone of Jones
In the mid-1980’s, I was able to set up a debate (e,g., c-Jones) became conscious in the room
on the mortality of the soul between a visiting simultaneously without any indication of who
professor, Antony Flew, and Richard Swinbur- was Jones and who was c-Jones. Through a mis-
ne for the philosophy department at Bowling hap of process, even the inventors had no way
Green State University. Both had given Gifford of knowing. Both believe themselves to be Jones
lectures that decade from opposing perspecti- but which of the two now is Jones?
ves: Swinburne advocated a dualist view that Would not any model of personality identity
argued the soul continues past death and Flew that equates personal identity with some func-
defended an atheistic perspective that denied a tional mental state (i.e, continuity of memory)
soul distinct from the body that could survive or pattern of relationship, or other such functio-
death. In 2007, Flew published a text that made nal states or patterns be incapable of providing
media headlines, reporting that after years of an answer? A materialist might argue that they
prominently defending atheism, he now belie- are not the same person only because they did
ved in a God along deist or Aristotelian lines. In not both possess the same physical body that
a personal conversation, shortly after the book’s was the body of Jones prior to the cloning (alt-
publication, Flew informed me that although hough no one may now be able to tell the real
he had come to believe that an intelligent agent Jones from c-Jones). Non-reductive physica-
had a hand in the creation of the universe, he lists, such as Murphy (2006), have often argued
continued to believe in the mortality of the soul. that it is some group of emergent functional
While some had uncharitably charged that Flew properties that make a person who they are and
was just trying to purchase afterlife fire insuran- not a continuity of substance. This allows them
ce as he was getting on in years, Flew quipped to make a case that their form of monism is
it would do no good since he did not believe he compatible with Christian ideas of survival past
would survive death. death through resurrection. Yet in our example,

59