In this issue we continue the study of the book Posthumous Works, published after Allan Kardec disembodied and containing texts written by him. The present work is based on the translation made by Dr. Guillon Ribeiro, published by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation.
Questions for discussion
11. When did Kardec die?
12. Can we call the Spiritist phenomena supernatural?
13. Flammarion classified Kardec by using a phrase that became famous. What is it?
14. With regard to the supernatural, what else did Flammarion say in his speech?
15. In the text with the title Confession of a Reasoned Spiritist Faith, Kardec wrote three concepts of God. What are they?
16. How does Kardec prove God’s existence?
17. Summarizing, how can we understand God’s attributes mentioned by Kardec?
18. There is in man an intelligent principle independent of matter and which gives him the moral sense and the ability to think. What is it called?
19. What consequences could result from the materialist doctrine that attributes all to matter and thus denies afterlife?
20. Does Spiritism prove the independence of the soul?
Answers to the proposed questions
11. When did Kardec die?
Kardec disembodied on March 31, 1869, when he was preparing for a change of venue, which he needed because of his multiple occupations. He died as he lived, working. For many years he had a heart disease that could only be cared through resting his mind and reducing his physical activity. But, since he was totally dedicated to his work, which he loved so much, he refused to stop. Therefore, his body could not handle it and gave in: the aneurysm ruptured and he fell dead. (Posthumous Works, Part I, Kardec’s Biography).
12. Can we call the Spiritist phenomena supernatural?
No. The methodical examination of the Spiritist phenomena, erroneously called supernatural, does not strengthen the superstitious Spirit and it also does not weaken the power of reason. On the contrary, it removes the errors and ignorance of illusions, and it better serves progress than the illegitimate denial of those who do not want in any way to have the trouble to see. (Posthumous Works, Camille Flammarion’s Speech on Kardec's burial).
13. Flammarion classified Kardec by using a phrase that became famous. What is it?
Flammarion called him "an incarnate good sense" because Kardec was endowed with judicious reason, and the Encoder applied to his work common sense. And this was not a minor quality considering the things that concern us. It was - said Flammarion – the first of all and the most precious, without which the work could not have become popular or spread its huge roots all over the world. (Posthumous Works, Camille Flammarion’s Speech on Kardec's burial).
14. With regard to the supernatural, what else did Flammarion say in his speech?
Firstly, he said that the time of the dogmas has ended. Nature embraces the Universe. The supernatural does not exist. Psychic manifestations, such as magnetism and somnambulism, are of natural order and should be severely subject to the control of the experience. There are no miracles. We are witnessing the beginning of an unknown Science. (Posthumous Works, Camille Flammarion’s Speech on Kardec's burial).
15. In the text with the title Confession of a Reasoned Spiritist Faith, Kardec wrote three concepts of God. What are they?
Here are they. 1. There is one God, a supreme intelligence, the first cause of all things. 2. God is eternal, immutable, immaterial, unique, omnipotent, supremely just and good. 3. God is infinite in all His perfections. (Posthumous Works, Confession of a Reasoned Spiritist Faith).
16. How does Kardec prove God’s existence?
This proof is in the axiom: There is no effect without cause. We constantly become aware of innumerable effects, which are not caused by Man, since Humanity is unable to reproduce them. The cause is therefore beyond Humanity. It is this cause that is called God, Jehovah, Allah, Brahma, Fo-hi, Great Spirit, and so on, according to the languages, times and places. (Posthumous Works, Confession of a Reasoned Spiritist Faith).
17. Summarizing, how can we understand God’s attributes mentioned by Kardec?
God is eternal: if there was a beginning, something would exist before Him. He would have come out of nowhere or He would have been created by a previous being. Thus, step by step, we go back to infinity in eternity.
God is immutable: if He was subject to change, the laws governing the Universe would not be stable.
God is immaterial: its nature differs from everything that we call matter, otherwise it would be subject to fluctuations and transformations of matter, and He would not be immutable.
God is one: if there were many gods, there would be several wills and not a unit of views or power in the ordering of the Universe.
God is omnipotent because He is unique: if He had not the sovereign power, there would be something more powerful than He. He would not have made all things, and those, which were not made by Him, would be the work of another God.
God is sovereignly just and good: the providential wisdom of the divine laws is revealed in the smallest things, as in the larger too, and this wisdom does not doubt nor His justice nor His goodness. (Posthumous Works, Confession of a Reasoned Spiritist Faith).
18. There is in man an intelligent principle independent of matter and which gives him the moral sense and the ability to think. What is it called?
Soul or Spirit. (Posthumous Works, Confession of a Reasoned Spiritist Faith).
19. What consequences could result from the materialist doctrine that attributes all to matter and thus denies afterlife?
The consequences of such a doctrine would be that, man not expecting for anything else besides this life, he would have no interest in doing good, and it would be very natural that he would seek to provide the greatest number of possible enjoyments, even at another's expense; and in addition he would be stupid if he deprived himself for others; selfishness would be the most rational sense; the one who was constantly unhappy on Earth would have nothing better to do than to kill himself, since it would mean for him nothing, but it would shorten his suffering. The materialist doctrine is therefore the sanction of selfishness, the source of all vices, denial of charity, the source of all virtues and basis of social order, and the justification of suicide. (Posthumous Works, Confession of a Reasoned Spiritist Faith).
20. Does Spiritism prove the independence of the soul?
Yes. It is proved by the intelligent acts of man, which must have an intelligent cause, and not a lifeless cause. And his independence from matter is clearly shown by the Spiritist phenomena, which show it acting by itself, and above all through the experience of its isolation during life, a fact that allows it to manifest, think and act in the absence of the body. (Posthumous Works, Confession of a Reasoned Spiritist Faith).
