Life After Death Term Paper

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Life After Death

Bertrand Russel presents a logical argument against the existence of a continuous human soul that would survive after the death of the body. Stating that "the continuity of a human body is a matter of appearance and behavior, not of substance," Russel argues that because our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are inextricably bound with the body, those very thoughts, feelings, and behaviors perish as the body does (89). Moreover, the sense that the "I" that exists now is the same as the "I" that existed yesterday is but an illusion, based on the fact that we possess certain memories and neural pathways that create the sense of a continuous self. Really, though, what we take to be the continuous "I" is nothing more than well-worn neural pathways, which Russel compares to a riverbed.

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Because experimentation in this area of thought is impossible, Russel's argument does not amount to scientific, empirical truth. However, Russel's case is far more plausible than a standard Christian or religious one. According to Russel, "it is not rational arguments but emotions that cause belief in….....

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