Physicalism Fails

If we define ourselves as purely physical beings, a host of problems confront us. Since our physical attributes continue to change over time, we are completely different people from time to time...but is this true? Don't we all agree that I am the same person who experienced 1st grade and graduation from high school? The classic description of the Ship of Theseus illustrates the problem of defining things (ie: people) as purely physical. As the captain of the ship replaces parts of the ship in each port, the ship continues on (even though its parts are discarded and replaced).

We cannot even define the most basic of things such as the ship of Theseus or even the Denver Broncos in purely physical terms. All of the physical attributes of the Broncos continue to change, yet the team remains something we are aware of and can even experience. The players are different, the coaches are different, the uniforms have changed, the location of games has changed...in fact, if you are physicalist, you must answer that the Denver Broncos do not exist. You must resort to non-physical terms (idea, name, organization, concept) in order to explain the Denver Broncos.

The same is true for the human person. There must be both a physical part (body) and a non-physical part (soul) in order for us to make sense of our own identity or to use the term "I." We cannot make sense of the world or of ourselves as humans if we try to explain the world in purely physical terms.