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Rebirth-A Philosophical Study
perfection. They are steeped in the Christian tradition and they do not. wish to take a step further lest they overstep the limits of their tradition. I wish Dr. Martineau and other western philosophers had studied the problem by taking a synoptic view and comparative picture with reference to the discussions in the ancient Indian thought.
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However, some modern psychologists like Dr. McDougall have given thought to this problem and they are in sympathy with the concept of continuance of life and rebirth. In his Body and Mind Dr. McDougall says. "I am in sympathy with the religious attitude towards life; and I should welcome the establishment of sure empirical foundations of the belief that human personality is not wholly destroyed by death. For, as we said above, I judge that this belief can only be kept alive if a proof of it, or at least a presumption in favour of it, can be furnished by the methods of empirical science. For every vigorous nation seems to have possessed these beliefs. and the loss of it has accompanied the decay of national vigour in many instances."
"Apart from any hope of reward or fear of punishment after death, the belief must have, it seems to me, a moralising influence upon our thought and conduct that we can ill afford to dispense with it. The admirable stoic attitude of a Marcus Aurelius or a Huxley may suffice for those who rise to it in the moral environment created by civilization based upon a belief in a future life and upon other positive religious beliefs; but I gravely doubt whether whole nation could rise to the level of austere morality or even maintain a decent working standard of conduct, after losing those beliefs. A proof that our life does not end with death even though we know nothing of the nature of life beyond the grave, would justify the belief that we have our share in a larger scheme of things than the universe described by physical science." Again "I should prefer myself of confident anticipation of total extinction at death to belief that I must venture anew upon a life of whose nature and condition we have no knowledge, I desire, on impersonal grounds, to see the world-old belief in a future life established on a scientific foundation."51 Yet Dr. McDougall seems to be hesitant accepting continuity of life in the next series as he wants to find a scientific evidence for such a belief,
IV
Western philosophers have looked at this problem of rebirth only from the empirical point of view. They wanted to test this principle on the basis of rational considerations. They did not want to go beyond the limits of discursive reasoning. Moreover, they considered this problem in isola
51. McDougall (W.): Body and Mind' Bacon Press, Boston, 1961, Preface,
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