Implications Of A Nonreductive Physicalist View
Both Judaism and Christianity apparently began with a concept
of human nature that comes closer to contemporary nonreductive
physicalism than to Platonic dualism. But, both made accommodations
to a prevailing dualistic philosophy, and combined a doctrine
of the immortality of the soul with a doctrine of the resurrection
of the body. The pressing question now, concerns whether to return
to those earlier nonreductive physicalist accounts of human nature,
as many Christian theologians have urged throughout this century.
If a nonreductive physicalist view of the person is acceptable
theologically and biblically, as well as scientifically and philosophically,
a variety of consequences follow in the fields of ethics, spiritual
development, medicine, and psychotherapy.
For example, many arguments against abortion depend on when
the human soul is presumed to appear. If the soul is present from
the moment of conception, then abortion at any stage of pregnancy
is full-scale murder. This argument no longer makes sense with
a nonreductive physicalist account of the person, in which there
is no soul upon which one's humanity depends. Similar sorts of
issues arise with regard to euthanasia. It is certainly true that
the concept of the soul has been valuable for ethical purposes;
it needs to be shown that equally powerful arguments can be constructed
using the nonreductive physicalist account of personhood. For
example, Jesus' injunction to care for the "least of the
brethren" (Matthew 25:40) can be applied supremely to children
before they are born, as well as to the elderly at the end of
their life. Notice that in Jesus' parable the emphasis is not
on saving the souls of those who are in distress, but rather,
on meeting their bodily needs for food, water, clothing, and companionship.
Spiritual formation throughout most of Christian history has
presupposed a Platonic conception of the person. It has often
been understood, for instance, that "mortification of the
flesh" is necessary for the flourishing of the soul. It is
likely that a nonreductive physicalist account of the person will
lead to healthier and more effective approaches to spiritual life.
Psychotherapists have already come to realize the dependence
of psychological health on physical health, such as when a serious
illness leads to depression. Equally important is the less-frequently
recognized dependence of physical health on psychological and
spiritual factors. This includes, for example, the role of stress
(a psychological factor) in causing ulcers, high blood pressure,
and other psychosomatic ailments. Spiritual factors, such as resentment
resulting from an inability to forgive others, also play a significant
role in affecting one's physical health. Increasingly, studies
are finding that prayer and church attendance are associated with
better health. A nonreductive physicalist conception of the person
can be expected to promote a more integrative practice in a variety
of health-care professions. That is, it will not be possible to
compartmentalize the person and to conclude that physicians treat
only physical illnesses, psychologists only mental illnesses,
and pastoral counselors only spiritual ills.
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| Contributed by: Dr. Nancey Murphy
|
