The Mind-Body Interaction Problem is not a Sufficient Reason to Reject Dualism

by Jason Dulle

Those who reject dualism (the view that man is made up of two kinds of substances: physical and immaterial) often cite the “interaction problem” as an argument against the view.  Stated simplistically, the interaction problem is to explain how an immaterial entity such as a mind/soul could causally interact with material entities.  One envisions the Hollywood movies in which a ghost is desperately trying to pick up a beverage or kiss someone to no avail.  Try as he might, he cannot connect his immaterial self to the material world to affect it in any way (unless you are Patrick Swayze!).  Many monists think the interaction problem alone is sufficient to dismiss dualism as a possibility.

Such an approach to the question seems wrongheaded, however.  One should not look at the queerness of mind-body interaction and immediately conclude that the mind cannot exist independent of the brain.  One must first evaluate the evidence for the existence of such an entity.  If there are good, independent reasons to think the mind is not an immaterial entity—but can be reduced to the brain or arise from material processes—then the interaction problem could serve as further confirmation that there is no soul.  But if there are good reasons to think the mind is an immaterial entity separate from the brain, then the interaction problem—while difficult or even impossible to explain—is insufficient to overturn the evidence that the mind is immaterial.  While we may not know how the mind interacts with the material world, we know the two entities do exist, and do interact with each other.  One need not explain how something occurs to know that it occurs.  We may forever be ignorant of how the mind and body relate to each other, but we have direct awareness and experience of the fact that they do.

To say “Because I cannot conceive of a way in which the soul could causally interact with the physical realm, the soul cannot exist” is like saying “Because I cannot conceive of a means by which voices can be transported thousands of miles in a split there can be no such things as telecommunication.”  But we know telecommunication is possible because we use it all the time.  We know phones exist!  We do not need to know how telecommunication works to knowthat it works.  Likewise, all of us have an immediate intuition that we are not identical to our bodies.  Any inability I may have to understand or explain the interaction of my self with my body does not count against the fact that I have a self that is distinct from and interacts with my body.

While there may be good reasons to reject dualism, the interaction problem is not one of them.  Indeed, some theologians and philosophers have proposed solutions to the problem.  Whether those solutions are sound or not can be debated, but what should not be debatable is the means by which we determine if the mind exists.  And as a matter of method, our answer to the howquestion must be secondary to the evidence for the what question.  If there is good reason to believe the mind is immaterial, then we should do so even if we do not know how the mind interacts causally with the material world.

Splitting the heavens and the Holy of Holies

By Jason Dulle

Mk 1:10  And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart [schidzo] and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. (NET)

Mk 15:37-38  But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. 38 And the temple curtain was torn [schidzo] in two, from top to bottom. (NET)

Mark seems to be making a connection between the response of heaven at Jesus’ baptism and the response of heaven at Jesus’ death through his use of the Greek term schidzo (meaning split, divide, or tear) — a connection that is obscured by most translations because they translate the word differently in each of the two verses.  At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry the heavens were opened to Him and He was personally anointed by the Holy Spirit from the Father.  At the end of His ministry, however, it was not the heavens that were opened, but the Holy of Holies itself, signifying that the presence of God is no longer confined to a specific locale, or available solely to the high priest. Now all have access to the presence of God because of Jesus.

Biblical Archaeology 2: The Pool at Gibeon

by Jason Dulle 

2 Samuel 2:12-17  Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon. 17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. (ESV)
Jeremiah 41:11-12  But when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael the son of Nethaniah. They came upon him at the great pool that is in Gibeon. (ESV)

After Saul’s death, David went to Hebron and was set up as king by the children ofJudah.  Meanwhile, Abner set up Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, as king over all Israel.  David’s and Ishbosheth’s generals met at the Pool of Gibeon for the first face-off of many battles that ultimately ended with David assuming the kingship of both Judah and Israel.  According to the Bible, then, such a pool existed in the lifetime of David (~1000 BC).  Jeremiah spoke of the same pool some 400 years later.
In 1956 the Pool of Gibeon was discovered six miles north of Jerusalem.  A tunnel runs from the pool to Jerusalem. It is an astonishing 80 feet deep, and was dug sometime before 1000 BC.  The immense size of the pool can be seen from the photograph above (see the tiny people in the upper right corner?) and below.
Significance:

1. It confirms the Biblical detail about the pool’s existence in David’s day.

Is Creation a Myth? (part 2)

Is Creation a Myth? (part 1)

Stay Dry.

God is Love, so let's give it!

Logic, Reason, and Philosophy are Intellectual and Spiritual Goods

by Jason Dulle

Many Christians have a negative connotation of the words reason, logic, and philosophy. Their negativity is not altogether unfounded. After all, there’s been more than a few individuals who have rejected Christianity on the grounds that it is irrational and illogical. And we’ve all known or heard of someone who studied philosophy only to lose their Christian faith. The problem in all of these cases, however, is not reason, logic, or philosophy, but rather the improper use of reason, logic, and philosophy. Indeed, all of us use reason and logic, and all of us subscribe to a particular philosophy even if we are unaware of it.

It is inescapable. Reason and logic are God-given tools that allow us to think and obtain knowledge. Logic and reason help us to order our thoughts, and enhance our ability to discern truth from error. We can’t think without them, although we can misuse or abuse them in the process of thinking. And that, I think, is where the real problem lies: the abuse of reason and logic.

While God intended for man to use logic and reason to discover truth and discern error, our ability to do so has been colored by sin. Man does not utilize reason and logic in a spiritual vacuum. The heart/will is connected to the mind. In our fallen state, what we believe if often influenced by what we want to believe. We often use reason—albeit improperly—to justify beliefs and behaviors that we know to be false/evil. But just like a knife is not evil in itself although it can be used in an evil manner by a man with a murderous heart, so too logic and reason are not evil in themselves even though they can be used in an improper manner by those whose hearts are opposed to God.

This is not a reason to avoid reason and logic, but to embrace it. Only if we are using our God-given mental faculties properly will we be able to see how the unbeliever is misusing logic and reason, and be able to point out his error. As C.S. Lewis noted, “Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.” And once the unbeliever’s error has been pointed out and recognized, he has the opportunity to align his will with what he knows to be true, or persist in denial and self-deception. The choice is his, but the Christian’s proper use of reason can help bring him to that valley of decision.

As Christians, we should embrace logic and reason—alongside revelation—as handmaidens of the truth. Reason and logic, when used properly, will always buttress the truth, not destroy it.