https://medium.com/humanist-voices/if-youth-knew-if-age-could-12-by-soul-we-mean-psyche-the-complete-human-being-b13c0b5a5398
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: The term soul seems ill-defined. Its original term, psyche, appears more precise. The complete makeup of a human being. Let's talk about the naturalistic soul, the psyche, what do we know and not know at present if you had recent conversations with or readings by relevant experts in a variety of relevant fields? If not, I'll take personal opinions too.
Dr. Herb Silverman: I’m uncomfortable using the word “soul” for the same reason I’m uncomfortable praising the Confederate flag. That flag to me is a symbol of white supremacy and slavery. But to many of my fellow South Carolinians the Confederate flag represents heritage, not hate. I think it represents both heritage and hate. And some heritage is hateful or worse, including what the Confederate flag and swastika represent to most of the world. I usually hear the word “soul” when people distinguish between our material mortal body and what they call our immaterial immortal soul. Some who fear death and want to escape its inevitability invent things like a heaven and a soul. These humans try to distinguish themselves from other animals and living things, saying that we are the only ones with souls. There are some real uses of the word “soul” that I like, including soul music, which arose from the black experience in America. I don’t like soul food like chitterlings and ham hocks. Soul food is a genre created by southern black Americans, and I know many people find it tasty. Soul (nephesh) was originally a Hebrew concept and a synonym for a living breathing creature. In this case, when the creature stops breathing, the soul is dead. In the Hebrew Bible, a person does not have a soul, but is a soul. This concept is closer to a naturalistic soul, or psyche. I prefer to use the word “mind” instead of soul or psyche, but I am comfortable with the word psyche. Our minds try to make sense of the natural world in which we live. There is no purpose in nature, but our minds come up with purposes in our own lives. Science has shown that all life is interconnected by small particles and phenomena playing off one another in subtle ways. I think natural laws are the rules that govern the structure and behavior of our natural universe, and our continuously changing universe is a product of these laws. To quote Carl Sagan, “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.”
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: The term soul seems ill-defined. Its original term, psyche, appears more precise. The complete makeup of a human being. Let's talk about the naturalistic soul, the psyche, what do we know and not know at present if you had recent conversations with or readings by relevant experts in a variety of relevant fields? If not, I'll take personal opinions too.
Dr. Herb Silverman: I’m uncomfortable using the word “soul” for the same reason I’m uncomfortable praising the Confederate flag. That flag to me is a symbol of white supremacy and slavery. But to many of my fellow South Carolinians the Confederate flag represents heritage, not hate. I think it represents both heritage and hate. And some heritage is hateful or worse, including what the Confederate flag and swastika represent to most of the world. I usually hear the word “soul” when people distinguish between our material mortal body and what they call our immaterial immortal soul. Some who fear death and want to escape its inevitability invent things like a heaven and a soul. These humans try to distinguish themselves from other animals and living things, saying that we are the only ones with souls. There are some real uses of the word “soul” that I like, including soul music, which arose from the black experience in America. I don’t like soul food like chitterlings and ham hocks. Soul food is a genre created by southern black Americans, and I know many people find it tasty. Soul (nephesh) was originally a Hebrew concept and a synonym for a living breathing creature. In this case, when the creature stops breathing, the soul is dead. In the Hebrew Bible, a person does not have a soul, but is a soul. This concept is closer to a naturalistic soul, or psyche. I prefer to use the word “mind” instead of soul or psyche, but I am comfortable with the word psyche. Our minds try to make sense of the natural world in which we live. There is no purpose in nature, but our minds come up with purposes in our own lives. Science has shown that all life is interconnected by small particles and phenomena playing off one another in subtle ways. I think natural laws are the rules that govern the structure and behavior of our natural universe, and our continuously changing universe is a product of these laws. To quote Carl Sagan, “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.”
Jacobsen: Before someone grows up, becomes choate, there's a lot of work by others and oneself to get there. Then the lifelong adult job, even while degenerating, is a wee bit easier, until the end - barring catastrophic issues or accidents. With the psyche defined, what can a young person do to keep improving towards socially and/or personally defined betterment - some abstract moving target connected to some values? That which one wants to be more like without being crazy or unhealthily obsessive about it.
Silverman: You are correct that as a 77-year-old (senior) adult I am in the process of degenerating, which is a lot better than being in a state where degeneration has ceased. My adult “job” of retirement is easy because nothing is expected of me and I can do what I enjoy doing. Helping those who are less fortunate is sometimes viewed as an unnecessary kindness at my age, though I have always viewed such actions as necessary, regardless of age.
Of course, an unretired adult with responsibilities will find life more difficult than I do, but it should be at least as rewarding. We are all degenerating, but young adults are less likely to notice. It’s nice to have a life plan that is fulfilling, with enough flexibility to modify those plans should they not be working out as expected or if you find different interests. To keep you grounded, it helps to be close to family members and/or have a life partner you can trust to tell you when something is wrong. We all need a sense of community. Think about what you can do to make a difference, and how to accomplish it while enjoying your life.
Part of the psyche of humans is bringing joy to ourselves as we bring joy to others. I think doing good is part of evolution and nature, especially human nature. Doing good helps us fulfill our needs. I can’t state it better than Robert Ingersoll, known as the Great Agnostic: “Happiness is the only good. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so.”
Jacobsen: As a role model, how did you model this throughout your life, and not?
Silverman: I wouldn’t call myself a role model, but I’ll describe some of the important choices I’ve made in my life. I always wanted to do something where I could make a difference. I became a mathematics professor, and in that that role I later heard from a number of students how I made I made a difference in their lives. I also did mathematical research, but only made a small difference with a few people in my narrow research field. However, as at most colleges and universities, professional advancement for me was tied more to research than to teaching.
Quite by accident, I learned in 1990 that our South Carolina Constitution prohibited atheists from holding public office. I made a difference by challenging this provision through running for public office as the “candidate without a prayer,” which led to a 1997 state supreme court victory that now allows atheists in South Carolina to hold public office.
While running for public office, I learned about atheist and humanist organizations that were all doing their own thing and not cooperating with like-minded organizations. I saw an opportunity to make a difference in 2002 by founding the Secular Coalition for America, which lobbies in Washington on behalf of atheists and humanists. It also facilitates among its 19 national member organizations.
Jacobsen: Why do supernatural definitions of a psyche not make sense in the light of scientific skepticism?
Silverman: Science gives us important information about the natural world. There is no evidence in science or anywhere else for the existence of the supernatural. In fact, science has shown us that a lot of supernatural beliefs based on so-called holy books are false, including the age of the universe and worldwide floods. As far as our behavior about supernaturalism, I’ll again quote Robert Ingersoll: “The hands that help are better far than the lips that pray.”
Silverman: You are correct that as a 77-year-old (senior) adult I am in the process of degenerating, which is a lot better than being in a state where degeneration has ceased. My adult “job” of retirement is easy because nothing is expected of me and I can do what I enjoy doing. Helping those who are less fortunate is sometimes viewed as an unnecessary kindness at my age, though I have always viewed such actions as necessary, regardless of age.
Of course, an unretired adult with responsibilities will find life more difficult than I do, but it should be at least as rewarding. We are all degenerating, but young adults are less likely to notice. It’s nice to have a life plan that is fulfilling, with enough flexibility to modify those plans should they not be working out as expected or if you find different interests. To keep you grounded, it helps to be close to family members and/or have a life partner you can trust to tell you when something is wrong. We all need a sense of community. Think about what you can do to make a difference, and how to accomplish it while enjoying your life.
Part of the psyche of humans is bringing joy to ourselves as we bring joy to others. I think doing good is part of evolution and nature, especially human nature. Doing good helps us fulfill our needs. I can’t state it better than Robert Ingersoll, known as the Great Agnostic: “Happiness is the only good. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so.”
Jacobsen: As a role model, how did you model this throughout your life, and not?
Silverman: I wouldn’t call myself a role model, but I’ll describe some of the important choices I’ve made in my life. I always wanted to do something where I could make a difference. I became a mathematics professor, and in that that role I later heard from a number of students how I made I made a difference in their lives. I also did mathematical research, but only made a small difference with a few people in my narrow research field. However, as at most colleges and universities, professional advancement for me was tied more to research than to teaching.
Quite by accident, I learned in 1990 that our South Carolina Constitution prohibited atheists from holding public office. I made a difference by challenging this provision through running for public office as the “candidate without a prayer,” which led to a 1997 state supreme court victory that now allows atheists in South Carolina to hold public office.
While running for public office, I learned about atheist and humanist organizations that were all doing their own thing and not cooperating with like-minded organizations. I saw an opportunity to make a difference in 2002 by founding the Secular Coalition for America, which lobbies in Washington on behalf of atheists and humanists. It also facilitates among its 19 national member organizations.
Jacobsen: Why do supernatural definitions of a psyche not make sense in the light of scientific skepticism?
Silverman: Science gives us important information about the natural world. There is no evidence in science or anywhere else for the existence of the supernatural. In fact, science has shown us that a lot of supernatural beliefs based on so-called holy books are false, including the age of the universe and worldwide floods. As far as our behavior about supernaturalism, I’ll again quote Robert Ingersoll: “The hands that help are better far than the lips that pray.”
