Alzheimer's Argument Against The Soul Analysis

In 1995, Paul Edwards a philosopher formed the “Alzheimer’s Argument Against the Soul.” He used the Example of a kind and generous lady who often helping others, was drastically affected by the disease of Alzheimer's. Edward states, “All her elegance was gone. She no longer recognized her children, and then in the advanced stage, became extremely aggressive. She who always helped others and was kind to others suddenly started to beat up other elderly patients.” Paul Edwards presentation disproves the soul's separation from the brain. For when her Alzheimer's struck, not only did her brain began to slowly deteriorate, but along with her intelligence, memory, and personality. The Philosopher argues that the “Lady was kind when her brain …show more content…
For there is a difference between an inanimate rock and animate rabbit. The soul is what makes this difference. The soul is the first act of a physical or natural body composed of tools. It is the primary actuality of a physical bodily organism, meaning it is the First principal of life. It is not the body, but the act of the body. Just as heat which is the principle of heating is not a body, but the act of a body. The soul is divisible into five genera of power. They are the vegetative power which consist of reproduction and nutrition, the sense power which consist of the five senses, the locomotive power is the ability to move, the thinking power consists of the ability to rationalize. Mrs. D’s soul possesses all five of these powers. The power that is related and the closest to the function of the brain is the thinking power. It is within the thinking power that the intellect subsist and it is associated with the ability to discern and to know …show more content…
For the intellect has a free will and is not bound up in organs, it may choose to follow the promptings of desire that sprang from the senses, whereas sensation is forced to act when in view of a sensible object. The Intellect can not be a part of the brain for the brain is made up of matter, whereas the Active and Passive intellect can not be made up of matter, since the Intellect has the potential knowledge of all intelligible forms. It is also open to all natures, unlike any other sense power. For example, the nature of the ear which is in charge of the sense of hearing can only react with noise. The nature of the power of seeing is only actualized when the particularly sensible accidents or qualities such as shape or color is in view of the eyes. However the intellects nature is open to all things, “ and that it is so inasmuch as it is capable not merely one particular class of sensible objects, nor even all sensible accidents and qualities, but quite generally the whole of sensible nature.” 207 For the intellect could think of a noise, color, shape, taste without using any of her organs to sense it, therefore not having to rely on any of those organs. If it was mixed with the body then it would have acquired some quality or even a particular nature, not being able to be open to all natures. This is why the intellect must be pure potential