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Dualists, as animals evolve higher thought processes, at what point do you believe they inherit a non-corporeal "self" or soul?

Asked by ETpro (34605points) February 16th, 2010

Cartesian Dualism is the belief that human awareness of being aware is above the physical plane of mater-energy-space-time, that there is a non-physical or spiritual thing in us that is the “me” or “I”. Dualism was advanced by early thinkers such as Zarathustra, Plato and Aristotle but perhaps best captured by RenĂ© Descartes in 1641 in his aphorism, Cogito ergo sum or “I think, therefore I am.” or more fully, “I am thinking, therefore I exist.” or “I am thinking, on the account of being.”

So, if self awareness can’t possibly be understood as a brain activity, but requires having a non-corporeal soul, at what point of increasing self awareness does an animal such as a chimp or bonobo or killer whale get supplied with a soul? Do all animals from the simplest single-celled organism up have souls? If so, how come they can’t think as humans do?

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