If we understand soul as the animating form of a body with the potential for life, what does that mean about immortality?
Aristotle did not believe that human beings had immortal souls. In this, he differed with his teacher Plato. St. Thomas, of course, did believe that human beings had immortal souls.
Plato, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas used the same basic argument for the immortality of the soul which showed that only rational souls were immortal. The rational soul is capable of grasping eternal truths. We all know that, for instance, "2+2=4" and "nothing can both be and not be at the same time in the same manner" (the principle of non-contradiction). Both of these are universal truths: they do not depend on time or place.
Now, nothing can hold something which is larger than it. Or, a thing cannot grasp that which is larger than it. (In Dungeons and Dragons, for instance, we let huge creatures, such as dragons have a plus to their grapple attack, whereas we subtract from the grapple attacks of smaller creatures.) So, the mind, or rational soul, could not hold an eternal truth unless the mind itself were eternal. This is a qualitative argument, not a quantitative one. The rational soul is capable of grasping an eternal truth, but that is only possible if the mind itself were eternal -- qualitatively equal to -- the truth itself.
This is an interesting argument, but also unworkable today. Human minds do not grasp eternal truths. We need to seek a firmer philosophical (as opposed to theological) ground for belief in the immortality of the soul.
(NB: I did not say that truth was not eternal, I said that human minds do not grasp eternal truths. We live in traditions.)
Monday, January 21, 2008
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4 comments:
I'm sure that this will be in the next part of your reflection, but what are the "eternal truths" you speak of?
And when you state that nothing can hold something that is larger than it, where do concepts like relationships, love, friendships and the like fall in? Thanks.
2=2
Nothing can both be and not be at the same time and in the same way
We know these are relative, because "2" is defined by us, and also, some cultures do not accept the principle of identity. A student said to me once: if you have 2 drops of water and 2 more drops of water and put them together, you get one drop of water"
Perhaps love is our true proof of immortality
Does the mind differ from the rational soul? If human minds cannot grasp eternal truth, then how do humans comprehend the eternal truth that Jesus Christ DID live on the earth and believe and reflect on that notion daily? Could you speak more about why the mind cannot then hold on to eternal truths? Thanks
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