The Existence, Immateriality & Immortality of the Soul

The arguments laid down in this note are by no means the only proof of the existence and immateriality of the soul. Matter [ماده] is essentially-inanimate or dead [مرده] and is devoid of life [حيات] , because had matter been essentially-animate or alive so all material things would have been animate or living, but since the consequent is false therefore the antecedent must also be false, meaning that since all material things are not animate or living therefore it can be logically concluded that matter is not essentially animate or alive, and if it is not essentially-animate then it must be essentially-inanimate or dead, because death [موت] is the opposite [نقيض] and the negation of life [سلب حيات] .

Now since matter is essentially dead, therefore it can be safely asserted that all things that are purely-material would also be inanimate and devoid of life or dead, but we know that Man is a living being, therefore it follows that man is not purely-material because had he been purely-material so he too would have been dead or inanimate, but since the consequent is false therefore the antecedent must also be false, meaning that since man is alive so this proves that he is not purely-material in nature, and in fact there is something immaterial [مجرد] as well in his being [وجود] over and above or in addition to his material-nature, that is the essence of life in man; now this essentially-immaterial essence of life is termed as the soul [نفس] .This is a rational demonstration of both the existence as well as the essential-immateriality [تجرد] of the human rational soul [نفس ناطقه انسانيه] .

Now we know through empirical experience and observation that material things are corruptible, subject to decay, decomposition and perishing, but since the soul exists and is immaterial as has been proven above therefore it is not subject to corruption, decay or perishing and is hence immortal. This is a rational-proof of the immortality of the soul [بقاء نفس] and also of an after-life [حيات بعد از موت], because the after-life is nothing but the soul's disembodied existence after its detachment from the material body [جسم مادى] on death.

It is an established principle in philosophy that the giver cannot be devoid of that which he gives, in other words he who gives must first possess that which he is to give before he gives it. Now if matter were to be the principle [مبداء] and the efficient-cause [علت فعلى] of the essence of life namely the human-rational-soul so in accordance with the above stated principle matter could not have been essentially dead or life-less simply because the giver cannot be devoid of that which he gives, but since the consequent is false therefore the antecedent must also be false, meaning that since matter is essentially-dead or life-less as has been proven above, therefore it follows that it could not have been the principle and the efficient-cause of the essence of life or the human-soul. This is a rational proof of both the immateriality and the life of the principle and efficient-cause of the human-soul.

Now it is self-evidently true that, that which possesses life and is therefore animate is nobler [اشرف] and more exalted [افضل] than that which is dead or inanimate, therefore animate beings are nobler than all things inanimate or dead; similarly that which possesses rational-life is nobler and more exalted than that which possesses only non-rational life, hence man is nobler than animals. It is also self-evidently true that, that which bestows or imparts nobility is worthier and nobler than that upon which nobility is bestowed, and it has been demonstrated that it is the soul which bestows the nobility of life to matter, which is essentially-dead but comes to life through the presence of the soul, therefore the soul is nobler than the material-body.

Now it is also a principle of philosophy that, that which is true for an effect [معلول] in terms of its existential-perfections [كمالات وجوديه] is also true for its perfect-cause [علت تامه] ; therefore since the soul is immaterial, immortal, noble, and essentially-alive therefore it follows that its perfect-cause must also possess all the perfections of its effect such as life, nobility, immateriality, immortality and immutability in a more intensified and eminent manner because the giver cannot be devoid of that which he gives.