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18
TG Kalghatgi
after our own eyes have closed in death, but it is an illusion to think that it is we who shall look through their eyes or feel the beat of their hearts 1
Pringle-Pattison says that McTaggart's metaphysical argument seems to rest entirely on his definition of the sell, and the definition I am bound to say seems to be no better than a dog na' 3 Dr McTaggart's use of the lerin substance (though he tries to safeguard himsit) carcies us back to the discredited soul substance which we have so fully criticised 88 Dr McTaggarts supposition that self is a metaphysical substrate in which personal identity lies is not an adequate explanation for the continuity of successive lives, as continuity is never realised owing to the absence of memory
Pringle-Pattison senses a difficulty in accepting the theory of reincarnatlun on the assumption of determinate aumber of souls Plato said "The souls that exist' 'must be always the same. They cannot become fewer, nor yet can they become more numerous 8 In the Tunasus he says their number is equal to the number of the stars, o "for McTaggart also the selves are 'fundancotal differentiations of the Absolute, determinate in nature and number 'It is the nature of the Absolute to be manifested in precisely those differentiations 10 which it is manifested "1 "Bradley pointed out that there is one scose in which the immortality of souls seems impossible We must reincmber that the universe is incapable of increase And to supposc a constant supply of new souls, none of which ever perished, would clearly land us in the end in an insoluble difficulty "42
According to Pringle-Pattison the difficulty arises due to the wrong onception of substance which is based on physical analogy It has been said by a woman cntic that Reincarnation makes childhood, which appeares beautiful and holy, a gigantic lie She says it is hard to conceive bow day mother can look into the dawning latelligence of her child's eyes, and be satisfied to believe that in innumerable past lives that same sout has gone through experience savage and civilized, has probably been in turn harlot of rake, victim or tyrant, wife or warrior, Jayman or priest, und perhaps all these a hundred times 45
eyes,
me that same
ad civilized
- Pringle-Patron (A.S) Idea of Immortality p 127 47 lbid. P 127 38. Ibul, p. 123 39 The Republic, p. 611 40 The Timeus p 41 41 Tringle-Parteson (
A S) Idea of Immortality, p 187 42 Appearance and Reality, p 502 43 Pringle Pa tuon, Idea of Immortality, p 129,
