The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-05
DOES DEATH. END AI,L?-Ioui

DOES DEATH END ALL7-Louis
Elbe of France, after a most compre'
hensive survey of mankind g answers to
the above question, summarized the
views of past ages and of the present
and sets forth certain theories Of, his
own in book which attracted much
attention in Europe. This has now been
translated: into English under the title
Future Life, and is one Of the import
ant books Of the year on this side Of the
water. E.
Science, declares the g author, is availa-
BILE in discussing the survival of the
human soul. This has been denied by
many, but the results of research in the
past score Of years shows that the prob
lem may be attacked by other means
than metaphysical speculation. Hav-
ing announced his thesis in the first
chapter, the author goes on to review
the ideas of survival held in the past,
from prehistoric tradition down to
| modern spiritism. p He then takes up
the future life in the light of modern
science, IN the light of astronomy, of
physics, of biology, and of psychic re.
search, and traces them to conclusions
like the following: ,r-s.-.t,H ,
Seeing that the physical sciences thus ac-
quire paramount Importance in our inquiry we
turn to them yet again, and discover the funda-
| mental law of indestructibility governing all
| the manifestations of matter and mechanical
| forces. We know that we are impotelt to
! create to destroy the minutest material
| atom, and can induce no new manifestation
| of energy without at causing an equal
quantity under another form to disappear. We
remarked that the law Of indestructtbiitys an
| piled not only to matter and to energyF but
also to2all events of the past, which also become
! indestructible when once they have been re-
| corded in the vibra lions Of the ether, and we
hav al tha Ia ho1d
good Of phenomena purely immaterial ina ap,
pearance, such as thought, seeing that fdeas
| which we conceive appear also to be inseMbed
| in the unending. vibrations of the invisible
ether. We recognize, In fine, that nothing what
soever in the: universe can elude the inevitable
| operation Of the incorruptible law which seter-
na1ly preserves the memory of the past; ssans
we are hence justified in concluding that the
living and especially the conscious tarees
must also be amenable to the same 1awsE for
| it can scarcely have determined to preserve the
| memory Of orr most insignificant cast ands ye'
be unwilling to preserve the being who Is iheii
author. 4
If the soul really, In the way that we have
seen, possesses an independent existence tHpol
q plane other than that of matter, we cahno
| suppose it to- be necessarily involved 1nss the
death of the physical body. Rather ought w
to think that it returns to the Invisible Worit
| whence it 'emanated, there TO 1uihl the cs"f" -
of it's amending destinies. =
The mass Of material which the san
thor brings to bear upon the subject
while greatly condensed and lucidly
stated, yet contains: much that a great
MANY will call rubbish. It should> be
remembered, however, that such cub
: bish makes UP a part at least of tn
beliefs of the. people, and any scientift
investigation of the subject must lool
at every belief processing to offer
gem of truth. It has been among resid
uary phenomena that science has made
some Of its most important discoveries
With this in mind the book is one .t'
bear careful reading and to excite in
tense interest.
I. A. G. Mcolurg & Co.. Chicago. s1.2o- net