The Asclepius of Hermes Trismegistus: On the Immortality of the Soul

Book VI. Commentary I. Chapter 5. 9 On the Immortality of the Soul.

...to be simultaneously with the thing of which it is the form; and in this, it differs from the form or the moving cause. Nevertheless, it remains true that some form can, in some way, precede its matter in time. But enough on these matters.

CHAPTER V.

The Immortality of the Soul according to Plotinus and other philosophers.

Plotinus, Enneads: Book 4, Chapter 7, Section 10.

Plotinus, a faithful interpreter of Plato, most wisely and learnedly demonstrates the immortality of the rational soul in many places. If, he says, men were well-disposed and endowed with good minds, no one would be so incredulous as to ever doubt that the nature of our soul is entirely immortal. The soul is kin to God. Indeed, it is evident that our soul is kin to a more divine and eternal nature from this: because it is not a body, nor does it have a shape, nor color, nor mass, nor quality that is in any way tangible. Therefore, since every divine thing—and truly existing being—enjoys a good and wise life, and since our soul is kin to a nature of this kind, it therefore enjoys a good and wise life. And in truth, no one of sound mind will doubt that the rational soul is immortal. For that in which life exists of itself cannot perish; but life exists in the rational soul of itself, because it is a form living through itself In Aristotelian and Platonic philosophy, a "form" is the organizing principle of a thing. A "form living through itself" does not depend on a physical body for its existence.; how then shall it perish? Heat is not in the fire itself, but in the matter of the fire, and therefore the fire is dissolved. The soul, however, does not possess life in such a way that there is matter underlying it, while life, approaching it, The soul is the vessel of wisdom. manifests the soul. Furthermore, since wisdom and true virtue are divine things, they cannot exist in any base or mortal nature; rather, it is necessary that such a thing be divine, since it is a partaker of divine things due to a certain kinship and communion of substance. But wisdom and true virtue exist in the human soul: therefore, it is something divine and immortal. Moreover, that which is the principle of its own motion, and which lives from itself—understanding those things which are in heaven and those which are above heaven, even up to the highest principle of all—is altogether immortal. But the rational soul is of such a nature: therefore the Soul does not die. Added to this is the fact that everything dissolvable, since it receives its being from composition, is a composite; it can be dissolved under the same condition by which it was composed. But the rational soul is a single and simple act, a nature consisting in living: therefore, for this reason, it cannot perish. Nor can it be divided into parts, because it is not a mass, nor a quantity of any kind. Anaxagoras. Anaxagoras also, speaking of man, says: "Mortal eternity possesses a part of God." He calls man "mortal" on account of the condition of the body, but "eternity" on account of the soul. Whence Pythagoras says: "When the body is laid aside, if you ascend to the free ether, you shall be an immortal God, no longer mortal." Pythagoras. Heraclitus. Hence also Heraclitus says: "The soul is a most wise light"; for when separated from bodily humors, it understands more clearly. The contrary would happen if the soul had its origin from the body: for every thing is preserved and perfected by its own origin. Lactantius. Apollo. Apollo of Miletus Referring to an oracle of Apollo., as recorded by Lactantius in Book 7, when asked whether the soul remained after death, replied: "The soul indeed," he said, "so long as it is held by bodily bonds, feeling corruptible passions, yields to mortal pains. But when, after the human condition is corrupted, it is carried into the ether, it shall never grow old, and remains forever without punishment." Cicero. Xenophon. Cyrus the Elder, in Cicero's Tusculan Disputations Book 1 and in Xenophon, says: "Do not think, my dearest sons, that when I have departed from you, I shall be nowhere or nothing; for even while I was with you, you did not see my soul; but you understood from the things I did that it was in my body. Therefore, believe that I am the same, even if you see nothing." Thus he spoke. Wherefore, it was rightly said by Galen...