Do Animals Have Souls - Philosophy
Do Humans Have Souls.
Do animals have souls - philosophy. Our souls are rationaltheirs arentand ours are rational because theyre spiritual not material. They have beliefs they have intentions they have desires they have sensationsor they appear to. Out God head within.
That animals are unfeeling machines was a convenient belief in an era when vivisection was widely practiced. So I cant see why they cant have souls too. The question of immortality might have remained unambiguously in the hands of humans if theologians believed that only our souls were immortal.
Buddhists believe in rebirth of all life but it is more a case of a dying candle lighting a new one. This is what the Sages teach. Does not bear the image of God.
Instead Cudworth argued that animals like humans have souls. In other words an animal or human does not survive as an individual. In turn Descartes thinking arises partly from Christian theologys simplification of the broader ideas of Greek philosophy.
The general view is that animals do have souls. Is not as richly structured as the human soul. As soon as theologians concluded that our flesh would join our souls in heavenly reward the door was opened for animals to enter into paradise.
Well animals do have consciousness and awareness and intelligence and some morality too maybe more than humans on that last point. I have seen this time and time again. If human beings have souls they must be more about sentience than consciousness.