Fan Zhen''s (c. 450-515) treatise against the immortality of soul "Shen mie lun" is studied in the wider context of both Confucian and Buddhist views about the possibility of the post-mortem existence of the human soul. A historicized analysis of Fan Zhěn''s argumentation reveals pragmatic motivations on both sides of the dispute.
A full Czech translation of "Shen Mie Lun" is provided.