The soul, the body and the face: a different view of mantranslated

When a person dies, what exactly happens? Is it lost entirely or does something survive from it? The most common answer is that the body dies, while the soul lives on. But if this is true, then does it not mean that the real man is ultimately only his soul?

By Petros D. Damianos (Dr. of Philosophy – NTUA Teaching Staff)

This question has accompanied philosophy and theology for centuries. On one side is the Platonic view, according to which man is primarily his immortal soul. The body is her temporary abode and death is the moment of her release. On the other side is biblical and orthodox Christian anthropology, which insists that man is not a soul encased in a body, but an indissoluble unity of body and soul.

But here a paradox is born. If after death the soul still exists, then why not consider it to be the real man? Does this not seem to confirm the Platonic position?

The answer of orthodox theology is subtle but decisive. The soul continues to exist, but it does not by itself constitute the whole…