Reincarnation
Reincarnation is the belief that the soul is reborn in another body after death.[1] A closely related term is transmigration, the passing of the soul from one body to another.[2]
In Indian religions
Reincarnation is central to Hinduism and Buddhism. The quality of each rebirth is determined by karma, and the cycle continues until the wheel of rebirth is transcended.[1] Transmigration is also taught in Jainism.[2]
Buddhism presents a distinctive version. A Buddhist catechism by Olcott describes Buddhism as teaching continuity from life to life without an "eternal, metaphysical soul-substance".[3]
In Greek thought
The idea also appears in ancient Greece. Plato wrote about rebirth,[1] and transmigration was taught by the Pythagoreans and in Orphism.[2] In the Phaedo, Plato describes a soul tainted by the body being dragged back into the bodily forms of animals.[4]
Philosophical questions
Modern philosophers discuss reincarnation alongside other ways a person might survive death. Dean Zimmerman mentions pre-existence and reincarnation as one route to "multiple embodiments", alongside resurrection and the preservation of souls.[5] Mark Johnston argues that it is rational to hope for other embodiments.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Reincarnation". Philosophy of Religion A-Z. Palgrave Macmillan. 2016. p. 179.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Transmigration". Philosophy of Religion A-Z. Palgrave Macmillan. 2016. p. 220.
- ↑ Patton, Kimberley C.; Ray, Benjamin C., eds. (2000). "Contested Identities". A Magic Still Dwells: Comparative Religion in the Postmodern Age. University of California Press. p. 59.
- ↑ "Hell". Philosophy of Religion A-Z. Palgrave Macmillan. 2016. pp. 90–91.
- ↑ Draper, Paul, ed. (2019). "Chapter 5 (Dean Zimmerman)". Current Controversies in Philosophy of Religion. Routledge.
- ↑ Draper, Paul, ed. (2019). "Chapter 4 (Mark Johnston)". Current Controversies in Philosophy of Religion. Routledge.