Agenda

Speaker: Prof. Julien Musolino (Rutgers University) Author of The soul fallacy. What science shows we gain from letting go of our soul beliefs

Presented by: Prof. Giulia Bencini, Department of Linguistics and Comparative Cultural Studies

Abstract
Most people believe they possess an immaterial soul that will survive the death of the body. In sharp contrast, the current scientific consensus rejects the traditional soul, although this conclusion is rarely discussed publicly. In this presentation, a cognitive scientist breaks the taboo and explains why modern science leads to this controversial conclusion. Although the new scientific view of personhood departs radically from traditional religious conceptions, a coherent, meaningful, and sensitive appreciation of what it means to be human remains intact. We do not lose anything by letting go of our soul beliefs; we even have something important to gain.