# Ingredients of Life



## Michael (Mar 8, 2005)

Anyone care to discuss the philosophical views of life in the various combinations of body, soul, and spirit? Where do we find our biblical foundation in regards to man? How do we reason with those who hold that lesser creatures have souls (even redeemable souls)?


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## SRoper (Mar 8, 2005)

I thought the brute animals do have souls (spirits?).

"For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?"
-Ecc 3:19-21

In the above the word for breath is the same as the word for spirit.

"AUGUSTINE: ... So what is it that human beings have in virtue of which they are superior, so that no animal can subdue them, but they can control many animals? Is it not perhaps what is usually called 'reason' or 'understanding'?
"EVODIUS: I can't think of anything else, since what makes us superior to animals is in the soul. If they were inanimate, I would say that we are superior to them in virtue of having a soul. But since they are animate, there is something that is present in our souls in virtue of which we are superior, which is lacking in their souls, thus allowing them to be subdued by us. It is obvious to anyone that it is something of considerable importance. What better name for that than 'reason'?
"AUGUSTINE: ... But in fact, as I understand it, the matter is already settled."
-Augustine, _On Free Choice of the Will_

Some other terms Scripture uses are "life," "heart," and "mind."

I believe Scripture is clear that man must be made of both material and immaterial substances, but I'm not convinced that every time it refers to "soul" it is necessarily speaking of the immaterial substance.

I have an open mind on the subject, so I'm interested in what others say.


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