From the author’s website: Michael Sudduth provides a critical exploration of classical empirical arguments for post-mortem survival—arguments that purport to show that data collected from ostensibly paranormal phenomena constitute good evidence for the survival of the self or individual consciousness after death. Focusing specifically on arguments based on the data of out-of-body/near-death experiences, mediumship, and cases of the reincarnation type, he aims to revive the tradition of empirical inquiry into life after death associated with philosophers William James, C.D. Broad, H.H. Price, and C.J. Ducasse. Sudduth proposes to advance the debate with a novel approach. For the first time, the traditional arguments are formalized using the tools of formal epistemology. Sudduth shows that this procedure exposes the Achilles Heel of the classical arguments, a self-defeating dependence on auxiliary assumptions. He further argues that when reformulated in the light of the “problem of auxiliaries,” long-standing skeptical objections to survival arguments are immune to traditional survivalist counter-arguments. For further details, visit Facebook – Philosophy of Postmortem Survival, or read Book Overview or sample chapter.
Table of contents:
Introduction: The Classical Empirical Survival Debate
Exploring the Hypothesis of Personal Survival
Out-of-Body and Near-Death Experiences
Mediumistic Communications
Cases of the Reincarnation Type
This book was reviewed by Professor Donald West in the April 2016 issue of the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research.
