9. Plato, Part IV: Arguments for the immortality of the soul (cont.)

Death (PHIL 176)Professor Kagan elaborates on the "argument from simplicity" and discusses in detail Plato's claims that the soul is simple, changeless and therefore indestructible. The final Platonic argument under discussion is the "argument from essential properties" in which the essential properties of the soul are addressed. At the end of the lecture the question of whether one needs to argue for physicalism is posed.00:00 - Chapter 1. Assumptions Made in the Argument from Simplicity05:56 - Chapter 2. Plato's Defense against the Harmony Analogy 19:42 - Chapter 3. Essential and Contingent Properties and the Argument from Essential Properties 37:06 - Chapter 4. Kagan: "There is No Good Reason to Believe in Souls" 47:53 - Chapter 5. Qualifications and Conclusion Complete course materials are available at the Yale Online website: online.yale.eduThis course was recorded in Spring 2007. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices