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Product Description
Product Description
'The question of what it is to be a human person is the biggest intellectual question of our day.' Keith Ward has taught philosophy and theology in British universities for the past 40 years, and he is now weighing in on a major intellectual battle: whether human persons are purely materialistic - nothing but matter - or whether there is another, deeply valuable part of us, which transcends our bodies in nature and moral worth: the soul. For centuries philosophers have debated the question, but the battle has taken the limelight through the works of the New Atheists. In this book Professor Ward guides the reader through a panoply of thinkers and traditions, arguing that there is more to humanity than bodies. In fact, he argues, there is more to the entire universe than the naked eye perceives. (And contrary to the New Atheist assertions, there are good philosophical arguments to back this up!)
About the Author
Keith Ward is Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of the British Academy. A well-known broadcaster and presenter, his work straddles the boundaries between science, religion and philosophy, while his career has addressed topics from materialism to medical ethics. His work in these fields is internationally respected, and he is today known as one of Britain's foremost philosopher-theologians.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I will put my cards on the table, I am a fan of Ward's books, he invariably has something unique to contribute to any debate and this is no exception but.....
The book is written in response to a book written by an Oxford fellow which challenged Descarte's dualism. This is all well and good, but if you haven't read Ryle (as I hadn't) you may find it puzzling in places.
The basis assertion Ward makes is to the primacy of consciousness, he makes numerous references to Quantum theory - in too little depth for my liking- and suggests that reality is mind-like.
The arguments in places seem skirt around appealing to the God of the gaps, but Ward makes a coherent argument based on knowledge - although sometimes lack of - of physics and quantum theory. Personally, I would like to see Ward read Jung as there seems to be a lot of parallels in what they say.
If you are studying or interested in philosophy of mind, this is an informative read.
The book is written in response to a book written by an Oxford fellow which challenged Descarte's dualism. This is all well and good, but if you haven't read Ryle (as I hadn't) you may find it puzzling in places.
The basis assertion Ward makes is to the primacy of consciousness, he makes numerous references to Quantum theory - in too little depth for my liking- and suggests that reality is mind-like.
The arguments in places seem skirt around appealing to the God of the gaps, but Ward makes a coherent argument based on knowledge - although sometimes lack of - of physics and quantum theory. Personally, I would like to see Ward read Jung as there seems to be a lot of parallels in what they say.
If you are studying or interested in philosophy of mind, this is an informative read.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Although I haven't finished reading this book, I must say how well it is written. It is clear and very detailed. I feel I may not agree with his final conclusion (whatever it turns out to be) but the arguments are lucid and his style aimed at non-professional readers.
0 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Unfortunately, this book is sold as a philosophical argument, which it most certainly is not. What it contains is a description of The Reverend Professor Ward's personal explanation for his religious faith.
This would be fine if he did not persist in presenting it as a philosophically valid argument. Indeed, he starts off lulling the reader into thinking that he has something useful to say about the philosophy of mind and ontology, with a little review of ideas arising from Descartes's famous thought. From there, he descends deeper and deeper into his personal journey; a description littered with factual errors and misunderstandings (especially where he ventures into science); all written in a flippant but condescending style. I don't know whether I was more annoyed at the misrepresentation and simple factual errors, pompously presented as truth, or the utterly unsupported and unjustified fanciful meta-physics, presented as deeper reality: both were a disgrace to professional academia in my view. I found this book a thorough let down.
This would be fine if he did not persist in presenting it as a philosophically valid argument. Indeed, he starts off lulling the reader into thinking that he has something useful to say about the philosophy of mind and ontology, with a little review of ideas arising from Descartes's famous thought. From there, he descends deeper and deeper into his personal journey; a description littered with factual errors and misunderstandings (especially where he ventures into science); all written in a flippant but condescending style. I don't know whether I was more annoyed at the misrepresentation and simple factual errors, pompously presented as truth, or the utterly unsupported and unjustified fanciful meta-physics, presented as deeper reality: both were a disgrace to professional academia in my view. I found this book a thorough let down.
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