What extrabiblical arguments do Christians employ (i.e., utilize in apologetics) to defend the existence of spirits or souls?
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According to the [2020 PhilPapers Survey results](https://survey2020.philpeople.org/survey/results/5010?target_group=) , when asked about their stance on *Consciousness: identity theory, eliminativism, functionalism, dualism, or panpsychism?*, only 20.98% leaned towards or accepted [mind-body dualism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind%E2%80%93body_dualism) . The remaining respondents were distributed among [functionalism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functionalism_(philosophy_of_mind)) (32.28%), [identity theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_physicalism) (12.64%), [panpsychism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panpsychism) (8.54%), [eliminativism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliminative_materialism) (5.51%), agnostic/undecided (12.31%), a combination of views (6.79%), and an alternative view (5.85%).
The Christian belief in the existence of human spirits or souls appears to resonate most closely with the concept of mind-body dualism. Based on the survey results, this suggests that roughly up to ~20% of philosophers might find the notion of spirits or souls plausible. Conversely, a significant portion of philosophers (50.43%) subscribe to [materialist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism) or [physicalist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physicalism) perspectives such as functionalism, identity theory, or eliminativism. Panpsychism (8.54%), on the other hand, posits that *"the mind is a fundamental feature of the world which exists throughout the universe,"* aligning more closely with certain Eastern religious traditions like *Advaita Vedānta* and *Buddha-nature* ([source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panpsychism#Religious_or_mystical_ontologies)) .
While the Bible explicitly states that humans are more than physical bodies, by possessing spirits or souls, citing verses from the Bible to ~80% of non-dualist philosophers is unlikely to be a convincing or compelling argument.
Thus, are there arguments beyond biblical references that Christians employ in apologetics to defend their belief in the existence of spirits or souls?
Asked by user61679
Feb 22, 2024, 04:13 PM
Last activity: Mar 9, 2024, 11:16 PM
Last activity: Mar 9, 2024, 11:16 PM