Extract
[...] The soul thus seems to be a prison for the body. In fact, the actions of'an individual's actions seem to be determined by their thoughts. Furthermore, even when the body appears to reach its limits or requires something in particular (food, water, nicotine?), the individual's will seems to be superior to these bodily calls. For example, in the case of an individual who stops smoking, their body, dependent on nicotine, will demand this substance with the same force as if it were a vital need (body illusion). [...]
[...] The body therefore limits the possibilities of the soul. The latter is retained on Earth, as long as it is linked to a body. In addition, the Greek philosopher Plato argues that the body is the prison of the'soul, in as much as the soul perceives the world only through the senses (of the body). The soul is 'forced [ . ] to look at realities through it [the body] as through the grid of a prison, rather than looking at them, all alone, through itself' (Plato, Phédon). [...]
[...] Why consider the'soul as a prison, as a limiting factor for the body? If the soul approaches the divine, why consider it as limiting? The philosophy of Michel Foucault in Surveiller et punir has highlighted the fact that an individual's soul is subject to subjection, to a shaping by the power in place in a given society. The philosopher thus emphasizes that if the soul is the faculty of thinking, the thoughts produced by the soul, which determine the actions of the body, are conditioned by society, directed by a governing body. [...]
[...] Theologians, such as Thomas Aquinas, have produced many works on the subject. However, other religious traditions, such as Buddhism, challenge this conception of the soul and the body. In fact, in Buddhism, the soul, the 'atman', is impermanent and circumstantial, just like the body. It is thus worth noting that when one leaves the Western conception of human being, based on the distinction between soul and body, the question of the imprisonment of one by the other loses all meaning." In addition, quantum physicsThis also affects our traditional conception of the body. [...]
[...] But what about hypnosis and reflexes? In these cases, the body's activities seem to escape the activities of the soul. In theIn this title, considering the body as the prison of the soul is problematic, considering the soul as the prison of the body has exceptions. Faced with these aporias, it is legitimate to ask if the question of the imprisonment of one substance by the other is valid. It is therefore necessary to question the way we tend to consider the relationship between the soul and the body, as well as the nature of these substances themselves. [...]
