Dispute Between a Man and His Ba

In this famous, impossibly ancient (ca. 1900 BC!) Egyptian text, a man negotiations with the part of his soul that's supposed to help him in the afterlife. Can he kill himself now and still get all the benefits of an honorable death? His ba says no. Is this actually philosophy, or just a glimpse into the strangeness of a long-gone culture? You decide! Read along with us. You can choose to watch this on video. Get this ad-free along with every Closereads recording at patreon.com/closereadsphilosophy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices