Quote:...anyway, what objection have you to material life after death? And if you object to a material framework, I would still have you remember that I am speaking of life, as we understand the word in this our life.
I take it to mean the concept of materialism, as a philosophy.
The passage itself seems to be that the old boy considers that survival of the material that composed a living, thinking being is, in itself, a sort of life after death, but devoid of any spiritual component.
But that the constituent material that made up the organism survives death.
The last passage:
"...I am speaking of life, as we understand the word in this our life."
He seems to imply that the surviving material that made up the previous organism then rearranges itself into another entity or entities with the characteristics of what we call "life".
Just my guess...
--Sawfish
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"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
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