§ 1: Proof of the Immortality of the Soul From the Innate Idea of Soul Immortality Within Us

Man has an immortal soul, for he has the idea of soul immortality innate within him. Man receives ideas from the nature surrounding him; nature teaches him daily about the mortality of beings and their complete annihilation; therefore, the idea of death and annihilation ought to be his natural conclusion as the positive conviction of man. The idea of immortality comes from nowhere to men; all that is perceived in the impressions cannot give the idea of itself; the idea of immortality does not fall upon the vision of man, therefore it ought not to exist; but the idea of immortality exists—whence came it to men? Does matter draw the idea of immortality? But matter is deprived of immortality; and whatever one lacks, one cannot impart; therefore, matter cannot impart even the idea of immortality to man. Man cannot have what he did not receive; all that he has he received from the nature surrounding him; the surrounding nature speaks only of death; therefore, death ought to be his only idea; but man has the idea of immortality contrary to the logical deductions, contrary to the daily images of death that appear before his eyes; how did he ascend from the idea of death to the idea of immortality? How did he become persuaded of its truth and build upon it his whole mode of living? The ascent from the idea of death to that of immortality is impossible and therefore inadmissible; therefore, man did not receive the idea of immortality from nature; hence he should not have had this idea. The idea of immortality exists in God; God is able to impart the idea of immortality; but matter cannot receive and understand the revelation of God; because matter is deprived of receptivity, as it does not have an apprehensive power, a spirit coming into relation with God can teach it the revelation; if man were only matter, he would be deprived of spiritual power and could not come into relation with God; therefore, man could not have received the idea of revelation even from God; but man has the idea of immortality; therefore, he received it from the eternal God. Everything that is able to receive something from God has receptivity toward it and understands God and divine things; man, having received it from nowhere else, received it from God and has the idea of revelation; therefore, man has spiritual power; therefore, man is not insensate and mindless matter, but an ensouled and intelligent being receptive of divine revelation; such a being must have an immortal soul as entering into relation with God, taught and enlightened by Him; therefore, man has an immortal soul.