The Soul & Consciousness (The "Hard Problem")
We proved God exists. But what are YOU? If you are just a "bag of chemicals," then you have no rights, no dignity, and no self.
1. The Problem: Materialism
Atheistic Materialism claims: "You are your brain." Everything you feel is just neurons firing. Love is dopamine. Sadness is low serotonin. There is no "You" inside the machine.
2. The Defense: The "Hard Problem of Consciousness"
Neuroscience can explain how the brain processes data (Soft Problem). It fails completely to explain Qualia (The "Feeling" of experience).
The Mary's Room Argument:
3. The Islamic View: The Ruh (Soul)
Islam posits the Ruh (Spirit) as an immaterial reality.
The Driver & The Car Analogy
The Body/Brain is the Car. It has hardware, wiring, and fuel (Biology).The Soul is the Driver. It is the "I" that decides where to go.If the car breaks (Brain Damage), the Driver cannot drive. But that doesn't mean the Driver doesn't exist. It just means the interface is broken.
4. Why This Matters
Without the Soul, we are just biological accidents. The strong eat the weak. With the Soul, we are Sacred beings with eternal worth.
References & Further Reading
- The Conscious MindThe atheist philosopher who coined the 'Hard Problem'.
- The Soul's Long JourneyIslamic metaphysics of the self.
- Alchemy of HappinessKnowing yourself is the key to knowing God.