Soul’s immortality

 

‘Well then: first, we must comprehend the truth about the nature of the soul, both divine and human, by observing experiences and actions belonging to it (Dei= ou]n prw~ton yuxh=j fu/sewj peri\ qei/aj te kai\ a0nqrwpi/nhj i0do/nta pa/qh te kai\ e1rga ta0lhqe\j noh=sai); and the beginning of our proof is this (a0rxh\ de a0podei/cewj h3de).

‘All soul is immortal (Yuxh\ pa=sa a0qa/natoj). For that which is always in movement is immortal (To\ ga\r a0eiki/nhton a0qa/naton); that which moves something else (to\ d’ a1llo kinou=n) and is moved by something else (kai\ u9p’ a1llou kinou/menon), in ceasing from movement (pau=lan e1xon kinh/sewj), ceases from living (pau=lan e1xei zwh=j). Only that which moves itself (mo/non dh\ to\ au9to\ kinou=n), because it never abandons itself (a3te ou0k a0polei=pon e9auto/), never stops moving (ou1pote lh/gei kinou/menon). It is also source and the first principle of movement for the other things which move (a0lla\ kai\ toi=j a1lloij o3sa kinei=tai tou=to phgh\ kai\ a0rxh\ kinh/sewj). A first principle is something which does not come into being (a0rxh\ de\ a0ge/nhton). For all that comes into being must come into being from a first principle (e0c a0rxh=j ga\r a0na/gkh pa~n to\ gigno/menon gi/gnesqai), but a first principle itself cannot come into being from anything at all (au0th\n de\ mhd’ ec e9no/j); for if a first principle came into being from anything (ei0 ga\r e1k tou a0rxh\ gi/gnoito), it would not do so from a first principle (ou0k a2n e1ti a0rxh\ gi/gnoito). Since it does not come into being (e0peidh\ de\ a0ge/nhto\n e0stin), it must also be something which does not perish (kai\ a0dia/fqoron au0to\ a0na/gkh ei]nai). For if a first principle is destroyed (a0rxh=j ga\r dh\ a0polome/nhj), neither will it come into being from anything nor anything else from it (ou1te au0th/ pote e1k tou ou1te a1llo e0c e0kei/nhj genh/setai), given that all things must come into being from a first principle (ei1per e0c a0rxh=j dei= ta\ pa/nta gi/gnesqai). It is in this way (ou#tw), then (dh/), that that which moves itself is the first principle of movement (kinh/sewj me\n a0rxh\ to\ au0to\ au9to\ kinou=n). It is not possible for this either to be destroyed or to come into being (tou=to de\ ou1t’ a0po/llusqai ou1te gi/gnesqai dunato/n), or else the whole universe and the whole of that which comes to be might collapse together and come to a halt (h2 pa/nta te ou0rano\n pa=sa/n te gh=n ei0j e1n sumpesou=san sth=nai), and never again have a source from which things will come to be moved (kai\ mh/pote au]qij e1xein o3qen kinhqe/nta genh/setai). And since that which is moved by itself has been shown to be immortal (a0qana/tou de\ pefasme/nou tou= u9f’ e9autou= kinoume/nou), it will incur no shame to say that this is the essence and the definition of the soul (yuxh=j ou0si/an te kai\ lo/gon tou=ton au0to/n tij le/gwn ou0k ai0sxunei=tai). For all body (pa=n ga\r sw~ma) which has its source of motion outside itself (w{| me\n e1cwqen to\ kinei=sqai) is soulless (a1yuxon), whereas that which has it within itself and from itself (w}| de\ e1ndoqen au0tw~| e0c au9tou=) is ensouled (e1myuxon), this being the nature of soul (w(j tau/thj ou1shj fu/sewj yuxh=j); and if this is so (ei0 d’ e1stin tou=to ou3twj e1xon) – that which moves itself is nothing other than soul (mh\ a1llo ti ei]nai to\ au0to\ e9auto\ kinou=n h2 yuxh/n), soul will be necessarily something which neither comes into being nor dies (e0c a0na/gkhj a0ge/nhto/n te kai\ a0qa/naton yuxh\ a2n ei1h).