Of the Immortality of the Soul
The essay examines metaphysical, moral and physical arguments offered to establish that the soul survives bodily death.
Understanding the text
Planned for the dissertations and then withdrawn, it appeared after Hume’s death alongside the essay on suicide.
Key points
- 01
Substance
Ignorance about the nature of substance limits proofs based on the soul’s supposed simplicity.
- 02
Justice
Future reward is not demonstrated merely because it satisfies a moral desire.
- 03
Analogy
Observable dependence of mental operations on bodily condition matters to empirical reasoning.
How to read it
Identify the three families of arguments rather than isolating a conclusion. Compare the limits of these proofs with the Enquiry’s distinction between faith and knowledge.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗