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In premise 2, a conditional statement is given with the intention of showing that anything that is susceptible to pain or disease is also mortal. Since the antecedent was premise one, modus ponens may be used to derive the consequent that anything susceptible to either disease or pain must be mortal. This seems at least plausible as it makes sense that anything that is susceptible to things that are the primary causes of death must also be able to die themselves.
With the first three premises in place, Lucretius applies them directly to cases involving the mind or what can also be classified as the soul or spirit. This fourth premise is extremely important in the argument that we do not survive death as it was a common belief of various other thinkers such as Plato that the soul is immortal and survives without the body. However, Lucretius points to the fact that the soul appears to be susceptible to the similar diseases and pains that are often inflicted upon the body. This premise seems relatively easy to accept when one examines the various diseases that the mind suffers, Lucretius uses epilepsy in particular; however, the mind also deteriorates in cases of dementia, Alzheimer’s and various other mental illnesses. Lucretius furthers this argument in his explanation by noting that not only does the mind fall ill of various diseases, but it can also be cured through the application of medicine. He notes that substances that are immortal would not allow themselves to be subject to the various different changes that seemingly do in fact happen to it.
With premise 4 being established, a conditional statement is presented in premise 5 with the antecedent being both premise 3 and premise 4. Using modus ponens once again, we get the consequent that the mind must in fact be mortal. This step in the argument is extremely important, as the mind being mortal is a necessary contrary to disproving the notion that the mind exists forever, or even that it continues to exist after the body deceases.
With the first three premises in place, Lucretius applies them directly to cases involving the mind or what can also be classified as the soul or spirit. This fourth premise is extremely important in the argument that we do not survive death as it was a common belief of various other thinkers such as Plato that the soul is immortal and survives without the body. However, Lucretius points to the fact that the soul appears to be susceptible to the similar diseases and pains that are often inflicted upon the body. This premise seems relatively easy to accept when one examines the various diseases that the mind suffers, Lucretius uses epilepsy in particular; however, the mind also deteriorates in cases of dementia, Alzheimer’s and various other mental illnesses. Lucretius furthers this argument in his explanation by noting that not only does the mind fall ill of various diseases, but it can also be cured through the application of medicine. He notes that substances that are immortal would not allow themselves to be subject to the various different changes that seemingly do in fact happen to it.
With premise 4 being established, a conditional statement is presented in premise 5 with the antecedent being both premise 3 and premise 4. Using modus ponens once again, we get the consequent that the mind must in fact be mortal. This step in the argument is extremely important, as the mind being mortal is a necessary contrary to disproving the notion that the mind exists forever, or even that it continues to exist after the body deceases.
