Born in 27 C.E., the Chinese philosopher Wang Ch’ung, as scholars like Chang Chih-Lien attest, was the Chinese contemporary of the Roman philosopher Seneca, living during roughly the same time and being just as influential in his thinking.[1] In chapter three of book twenty within his collection of philosophical writings, known as Lun-Heng, Ch’ung contemplates life after death and uses reason to argue against the existence of ghosts. As the thinker contends, there are three major factors which disprove spirits. First, the number of individuals who have died over the course of humanity’s history is numerous, which means there should be a congested throng of ghosts wandering the earth. Due to this overwhelming amount, ghost sightings should be fairly common; however, only a handful of individuals have seen them and, when they do, it is only one or two entities, not a massive crowd. Second, once a fire has reduced wood to ash, it is nearly impossible to rekindle the flame. A new fire can be lit with new wood, but it is not the same as the previous blaze. According to Ch’ung, the same logic can be applied to death. Once the physical body has become dust, nature cannot make the person reappear. Like the fire, it can start a new lifeform, but that individual will not be the same as the deceased. Third, we are not cognizant of what occurs around us while we sleep; therefore, the philosopher stresses that we are also not conscious during death to hear or see what happens following our demise. Because of this, the idea of ghosts returning to correct injustices or seek vengeance is improbable.[2]
Works Referenced
Ch’ung, Wang. Lun-Heng. Vol. 1. Trans. Alfred Forke. New York: Paragon Book Gallery, 1962.
Chih-Lien, Chang. “Wang Chong as a Critic.” Cina 15 (1979): 11-26.
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[1] Chih-Lien, 11.
[2] Ch’ung, 64.
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