More Than Matter? (Is There More to Life Than Molecules?)

Distinguished philosopher Keith Ward here weighs in on what are perhaps the greatest metaphysical quandaries of our time: is the human mind merely an intricate mass of nerve cells and synapses, or is it something more? Are human beings simply “accidental results of millions of genetic copying-mistakes and freak accidents of nature,” or is there actually something deeper and more sublime at the heart of both material reality and human existence? Using philosophical and metaphysical reflections — rather than religious considerations — Ward argues, winsomely and intelligently, that human consciousness does in fact transcend our physical bodies. Moreover, he posits, the fact that we are “more than matter” not only has profound implications for our human worth but also provides clues to the nature, value, and purpose of the cosmos.