Immortality of the human soul
and
death of the human being

Introduction

660. The previous book entailed hard work. Its inevitably difficult questions about the simplicity of the soul, a truth which, as we saw, is easily confirmed by numerous direct, impugnable arguments, leave unsolved any number of obscure, mysterious investigations that remain in the mind like seeds. Already fertile, they are nevertheless enclosed as it were in extremely hard shells which remain unopened until warmed and incubated by the mind with persevering, generous love. Although at first suspicious, the mind comes to rejoice in them as it beholds its off-spring come forth alive; it recognises them clearly as the true issue of the beauty of truth.

The reader will have greater reason to take comfort from the work he has done, and from that which still remains, to the extent that his intellect is already well prepared and disposed to consider the immortality of the intellective soul, the noble truth and object of this latest book. Immortality is the condition on which human dignity depends, just as it is the condition of the happiness to which human beings continually aspire with irresistible, unconquerable longings.

We are indeed mortal of our own nature, but we desire immortality and avidly seek to be certain of it. Nothing disturbs us more than doubt or suspicion that immortality may not be our lot.

It is true that reason and experience show our body to be corruptible and destined to dissolution; God's revelation alone provides us with a secure promise that our body will one day be restored to us free from subjection to death. Nevertheless, the little that philosophy can tell us about this matter is a delightful and extremely precious truth. Philosophy can indeed show that our better part, the intellective soul, is of its own nature immortal and not subject to disintegration. This truth must be for us a joyful anticipation and herald of everything else we can expect from the magnificent generosity of our Creator. Let us start to consider this argument, therefore. It is the delicious fruit which we have cultivated and brought to maturity through our previous investigations.