Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-19
ORIGIN OF The HUMAN SOUL
Ancient and Modern Theories on the
Greatest of Human Mysteries
ANALYSIS OF THREE NOTABLE OPINIONS
FInws In the Teachings of various
schooIs-Instructive Review of
the Belief Maintained by
the Catholic Church.


the Catholic Church.
Second Paper.
Three notable opinions have prevailed re-
garding the origin OF the human soul and
may be called. respectively, emanationism,
generationisrn and creationism. The emana-
tionists held that the human soul was an
effusion of the divine substance, or part oil
God or the divine substance itself in con-
diton of self consciousness, or at least a
phenomenon OF Gods substance. The gen
erationiss taught that the human soul pro-
ceeded from the soul OF the parents. Those
who held this opinion explained 1t In va
rous ways which may be reduced to four.
The first explanation was that the soul was
produced or transmitted simultaneously
with the body by means of generation IN
the same manner as the sensitive and Vege-
tative soul is produced. Tertullian seems TO
have held this opinion. IT is known tech
nically as traducianism which term is also
used alternately with generationism. An
other explanation was that the soul was de-
rived from the soul of the parents by means
OF kind Of spiritual generation, which is
concomitant with the generation of the body,
but distinct from 1t. In recent times
Froschammer introduced new form of gen.
eratonism according to which the human
scul is produced by the soul of the parents
by means of kind of natural creation.
Rosmini held that the substance OF the
human soul Is generated from the soul
OF the parents; that at first 1t possesses only
sensitive life, but that finally 1t receives
from God manifestation of ideal being, and
in this way acquires intelligence.
The creationists hold that the human soul
is not produced by any created cause. Ac-
cording to them it is produced Immediately
by God by means of true act OF creation
or eductlon from nothing. st. Thomas Ac-
auinas and all the scholastics held this
opinion. and, generally speaking, all Catholic
philosophers agree with them
Theories Analysed.
The contention that the human soul Is an
emanation OF the divine substance seems
to involve an absurdity. Let us suppose
that the soul is part Of the divine sub
stance or only some affection OF it, Inc
first supposition destroys the simplicity of
the divine substance AS it is and must be
simple. it is absolutely and necessarily in
divisibe. The second supposition contra
diets our own conscious experience. Every
one is conscious that he subsists in him
self. that he is a substance distinct from
others, that he exists in himself and by
himself and is fully aware that he Is neither
a mere accident, nor mode, nor a
phenomenon. II would appear, therefore.
that emanationism is untenable 1t would
follow also from the second hypothesis that
all men have but one and the same soul,
one and the same intelligence, one and the
same sensitive life. This consequence con-
tradicts our experience. Every one knows
that he is distinct from every one else, that
he himself and no one else is the principle
of his actions and passions.
Again, supposing that the human soul
were a part or a mode of the divine sub
stance, it would follow that the soul pcs
sesses the perfections of the divine sub
stance, which we know to be false; or that
God is subject to the defects and the i'm
perfections that afiiict the human soul,
which, as we see, would destroy His divine
perfection. We conclude, therefore, that
the human soul can in no manner proceed
from the divine substance by way OF sub
stantial or modal emanation. The emana-
tionists derive their opinions from panthe-
ism.
We consider that generationism also must
be rejected. The soul is not produced by
corporeal generation and consequently we
are bound to exclude traducianism. The
human soul Is a subssting spiritual form
without matter and elevated above matter
and body. But thing that Is spiritual
cannot be produced by a corporeal force or
action for the reason that cause must be
proportioned to the effect.
Independent of Matter.
We conclude, therefore, that the human
soul, unlike inferior forms, cannot be pro-
duced by corporeal generation, for the rea-
son, as st. Thomas remarks, that the in
4. Il, g
matter The generative force is an organic
force that acts by transmitting body. The
transmutation of body however, can produce
only form that depends upon matter. 1t
follows, therefore, that a spiritual soul cam
not begin through generation. Traducian-
ism would make the immortality of the soul
an lmpossibility. If the soul derived its
being through the generation of the body,
1t would cease to be just as soon as the body
became dissolved, as happens in the case
of material forms. The reason is because
that which depends upon a subject in order
that 1t may be able to come into being de-
pends on that subject while 1t is in being and
cannot possess more stable existence than
tho subject on which 1t depends. But as
we think and shall attempt to prove, the
human soul is naturally immortal. There
fore tho reasons which establish the i'm
mortality of the soul refute the system
known as traducianism.
The soul does not proceed from the i'm
mediate action OF the soul Of the parents.
spiritual soul cannot be produced by
spiritual soul except by the way of ema-
nation or creation. But, as we have seen,
emanation is inconsistent with the sim
picity of the soul, which does not permit
division nor the chipping away of any part
NJ Stthe
not create because there is no proportion