Do extraterrestrials have Souls?
I’d like to thank my son Richard who contributed to the development of this post.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, man's soul is a spirit and therefore is immortal. Animals and plants do have souls, but they are material principles. The souls of animals and plants die when the animals and plants die. Therefore it seems likely that if extraterrestrial life forms exist they would have souls, but what is not certain is whether they would have immortal souls.
What does the Catechism tell us about the nature of souls?
Catechism of the Catholic Church
363 In Sacred Scripture the term "soul" often refers to human life or the entire human person. But "soul" also refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God's image: "soul" signifies the spiritual principle in man.
364 The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit:
What does scripture say?
Genesis 1: 27 - God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.
From the avove it appears that our having a soul and being created in God’s image may be less about being created in a way that we look similar to God, but more to our having a spiritual existence such as God and the angels. In fact, the Old Testament belief that to look at God would cause one’s death reinforces the likelihood that God looks very different from us.
The Bible and Sacred Tradition tells us that since we are created in the image of God (that we have a spiritual and immortal existence), we have been granted dominion over all of His creation.
358 God created everything for man, but man in turn was created to serve and love God and to offer all creation back to him:
362 The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic language when it affirms that "then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Man, whole and entire, is therefore willed by God.
For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that man developed a technology that enabled him to explore new worlds in new solar systems.
If we found an unpopulated planet that was earth-like and supported abundant plant life, would there be an ethical problem in colonizing it? Probably not.
Let’s further assume that the planet has many indigenous plants, fruits, and vegetables that were nutritious and taste good. Would most people have a problem with harvesting them? I try to avoid giving personal opinions in these posts, but I personally wouldn’t see a problem with that. I also assume most people would likewise think that it would be an acceptable thing to do.
What if there were lower forms of animals. Would it be wrong to eat them?
According to Catholic apologist Karl Keating “there is a symmetry between animals and plants. There is no good reason to treat them differently.”
Scripture also tells us that because we have souls and were created in God’s image, we have been granted dominion over all the plants and animals.
Genesis 1:26-30
Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said: "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food." And so it happened.
It would seem that if the plant life and wildlife did not have immortal souls, we would have dominion over them. The question for which we don’t have a definitive answer is how would we know whether extraterrestrials have souls?
Once again, we have an excellent resource to which we can turn – the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It describes several traits that only man possesses (or should possess), so those are likely the traits that only creatures with immortal souls would have.
356 Of all visible creatures only man is "able to know and love his creator." He is "the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake," and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God's own life. It was for this end that he was created, and this is the fundamental reason for his dignity: What made you establish man in so great a dignity? Certainly the incalculable love by which you have looked on your creature in yourself! You are taken with love for her; for by love indeed you created her, by love you have given her a being capable of tasting your eternal Good.
357 Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead.
Using these two paragraphs as guidelines we can identify certain qualities that would serve as a checklist to determine whether extraterrestrials have souls.
1. Are the extraterrestrials intelligent?
Ideally we would be able to communicate with them. Since they would have developed in an environment that would be totally different from ours, communication would likely be difficult. There would be no “Rosetta Stone” to which we could refer. In the absence of the ability to communicate we would have to observe them in order to better understand them. Do they seem to be self-aware? We could determine whether they have the ability to craft and use tools. Have they developed any sort of society or civilization?
2. Are the extraterrestrials able to know and love their creator?
Only man, created with an immortal soul in God’s image is able to know and love God. In a prior post we learned that Scripture tells us that this is the primary purpose for which we were created.
Matthew 12:28-30
One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
If we are able to communicate with them, we would want to determine whether the aliens are capable of understanding the concept of a God or religion. Do they bury their dead as a part of a belief in the afterlife? (It is interesting to note that Neanderthals buried their dead, in at least some cases, with honor yet there is evidence that in some cases Homo sapiens killed, butchered, and ate some Neanderthals.)
3. Are they capable of self-sacrifice?
In a prior post we learned that sacrificing our sufferings to God gives meaning to our lives.
A part of this is this question is whether the extraterrestrials care for the weakest of their own kind.
In a prior post we learned that Scripture tells us that caring for the weekest is the second most important purpose for which we were created.
Matthew 25:45
Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.
Unfortunately human beings generally do a poor job protecting the weakest among us. As we noted in prior posts, over 50 million human beings have been aborted in the United States since Roe vs. Wade. As Pope John Paul II said, “A nation that kills its own, is a nation without hope.”
4. Do the extraterrestrials have dominion over their planet?
Man was created with dignity and given dominion over his planet. We should observe whether the extraterrestrials are at the top of the planet’s food chain. If called to share in God’s love, they would likely have been granted this dignity. Without the undue preoccupation with avoiding creatures higher on the food chain, the extraterrestrials would be better able to serve their primary purpose - to serve God.
Because our worlds would be so different, our ability to communicate, or to determine the answers to the above questions would probably be difficult.
If we suspect that the extraterrestrials are lower-life forms, this would present two more questions:
1. Would we be justified in domesticating alien life forms in the same way that we’ve domesticated chickens, horses, and pack mules?
2. At what point would it be immoral to eat extraterrestrial life?
St. John Chrysostom said, “What is it that is about to be created, that enjoys such honor? It is man that great and wonderful living creature, more precious in the eyes of God than all other creatures! For him the heavens and the earth, the sea and all the rest of creation exist.”
Evaluations of extraterrestrial life may be ambiguous at best. Perhaps our best course of action would be to tread softly. It would probably be best not to exploit, and certainly not to eat, them.
Phillip K. Dick once wrote an excellent short story called Beyond Lies the Wub, where a space traveler decided to eat a swine-like creature that turned out to be more advanced than he had thought.
Since God has given us the gifts of our souls and free-will, we are charged with giving dignity to all of God’s creations. Even if extraterrestrial life is not advanced, perhaps there is much that we could learn from it. If we encounter extraterrestrial life we should endeavor to determine what purpose it has. Perhaps God’s purpose for aliens is for us to care for them.
2416 Animals are God's creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.
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