Monism categorizes the soul and body as one

Question: Do we have a soul?
Position1 of 3›: Philosophy establishes two theories of the soul
Argument‹2 of 2: Monism categorizes the soul and body as one

Monism asserts that the body and the soul are inextricably tied.

The argument

Generally accredited to have begun with the philosophies of Aristotle, monism characterizes the soul and body as the same. In general, monism refers to the idea of one core entity. We are one entity made up of a body and soul working together to allow us to function. Based on monism, a person's essence is resultant and dependent upon their body. Experiences and personality, making up who the person is and their soul, are influenced and driven by physical events and perceptions. When the body dies, the soul does not have the ability to function independently, so there is no afterlife.

Premises

[P1]Monism holds that a person is a single entity in which body and soul are unified rather than separate substances. [P2] On this view, a person's essence, experiences, and personality are dependent on and driven by their physical body. [P3] Because the soul cannot function independently of the body, it ceases to exist when the body dies. [C] Therefore, monism establishes one philosophical theory of the soul, in which soul and body are one and the same.

Counter-arguments

The body and soul should be viewed in a separate dualism approach. The soul is a spiritual thing that cannot be explained or tied to the physical body. The soul does interact with but doesn't rely upon the body, and they exist in separate spheres that coexist but are independent. After the death of the body, the soul remains functional in the afterlife.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] The dualist reply denies the unity the premise asserts, holding that body and soul are distinct: the soul is a spiritual thing that cannot be explained in physical terms or tied to the body, and the two occupy separate spheres that coexist without merging. [Rejecting P2] Interaction is not dependence on this account — the soul acts on and with the body without being driven by it, so a person's essence need not be a product of their physical constitution. [Rejecting P3] If the soul does not depend on the body, the body's death does not end it, and the counter holds that it remains functional in the afterlife.