Dualism, Idealism, Materialism defined.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ichigo
Greetings:
This subject is as fascinating as it is complex. I take the position known as conditional unity, which is kind of a cross between a strict naturalist point of view (our "spirit" dies when we do) and strict dualism (the physical body and soul (or mind) exist in separate realities).
I believe that at death, the unnatural occurence of our soul/spirit separating from our physical bodies into heaven (or hell, depending whether or not you've accepted Christ) into God's presence. As this is our unnatural state, our soul/spirit longs to be back in a physical form, but is temporarily overshadowed by the fact that we are in His presence. In closing, separation from the physical body is only a temporary state. We should caution ourselves not to put to much emphaisis on either the physical body or the soul/spirit that is our breath of life. Anyway, that's my two cents on the issue.:) God bless!
In Christ,
Ichigo(Matt)
It seems the board has quieted down a bit, so it seems an appropriate time to revisit this subject. You've listed three points of views. I hope to lay down the definition for future reference and to help people looking in a quick overview.
Here is the following in the Oxford English Dictionary regarding
Dualism:
3. A theory or system of thought which recognizes two independent principles. spec. a. Philos. The doctrine that mind and matter exist as distinct en***ies; opposed to idealism and materialism. b. The doctrine that there are two independent principles, one good and the other evil. c. Theol. The doctrine, attributed by his opponents to Nestorius, that Christ consisted of two personalities.
Since the dictionary has listed two other positions, here they are:
Idealism
1. Philos. Any system of thought or philosophy in which the object of external perception is held to consist, either in itself, or as perceived, of ideas (in various senses of the word: see idea n.).
Subjective Idealism is the opinion that the object of external perception consists, whether in itself or as known to us, in ideas of the perceiving mind; Critical or Transcendental Idealism, the opinion (of Kant) that it, together with the whole contents of our experience, consists, as known to us, but not necessarily in itself, of such ideas; Objective Idealism, the opinion (of Schelling) that while, as known to us, it consists of such ideas, it consists also, as it is in itself, of ideas identical with these; Absolute Idealism, (a) the opinion (of Hegel) that it consists, not only as known to us, but in itself, of ideas, not however ours, but those of the universal mind; (b) also applied more generally to other forms of idealism which do not suppose an independent reality underlying our ideas of external objects.
Materialism:
1. Philos. The opinion that nothing exists except matter and its movements and modifications; also, in a more limited sense, the opinion that the phenomena of consciousness and will are wholly due to the operation of material agencies. Often applied by opponents to views that are considered logically to lead to these conclusions, or to involve the attribution to material causes of effects that should be referred to spiritual causes.
Conditionalism:
The doctrine of conditional survival after death. Hence Con"ditionalist, one who holds such doctrine (also attrib.).
1895 Salmond Chr. Doctr. Immort. vi. ii. 615 The literalists of the various forms of Annihilationism or Conditionalism. Ibid. 622 The Conditionalist doctrine involves conceptions both of man's nature and of Christ's work which are inadequate and unreasonable. 1910 Hastings Encycl. Relig. & Ethics III. 822/2 In its modern form Conditionalism may be said to be contained in two propositions: (1) that the endless life of the righteous is not the result of any natural immortality inherent, but is the gift of God; (2) that the punishment of the wicked, in the world to come, will not be of endless duration, since their life must finally be extinguished. Ibid. 823/2 Spinoza+was a Conditionalist in the sense that his ‘immortality’ is not enjoyed by any but the wise man. Ibid. 824/1 The conditionalist position (forcibly stated by Locke in a p***age already quoted). 1918 J. H. Leckie World to Come 134 He affirms that ***us declared to his soldiers that those who died in battle secured for their souls a future life, while those who perished by natural decay or sickness p***ed utterly out of existence—which reads very like an excellent military version of Conditionalism. Ibid. 223 This Conditionalist strain in early Christian thought attained to definite dogmatic expression in Arnobius. 1967 New Catholic Encycl. VI. 1006/2 Others+resolved the problem of the punishment of the demons and the ****ed by means of the theory of conditionalism.
If there are any more positions, I'll add them later.
Souls Immortal, Hellfire Torture Forever
The Antichrist and the False Prophet are put in the lake of fire at the beginning of the millennium and are still alive 1100 years later when Satan is thrown into the lake of fire. This can only mean that souls are immortal and cannot be obliterated by the lake of fire.:)
