Abstract
Reality is almost always wilder and more complex than we imagine. And as human society evolves, more and more opportunities open up. This is likely to include the possibility of earthly immortality. No analysis will be made of the progress in biotechnology and genetics that will ultimately allow this – since reality is almost always wilder and more complex than we imagine. What is investigated is what the understanding of immortality may be. Is it central for immortality to have continuous consciousness, or would we be happy just to know that the substrate of our spirit will not perish, merely be transformed? But also, if we achieve earthly immortality will we be challenging god? Will earthly immortality mean that we might lose possible eternal life with god?
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Notes
- 1.
Hamlet Act 1, scene 5, 159–167.
- 2.
The moral philosopher Peter Singer argues that individual human life should be protectable only at the point in time when is has developed rationality, autonomy and self-consciousness. As new-borns do not possess these capabilities their lives should not be protected.
- 3.
See John Hicks, Death & Eternal Life, on the range of identifiers in Asian thought.
- 4.
Victor Hugo said: ‘When grace is joined with wrinkles, it is adorable. There is an unspeakable dawn in happy old age’ – perhaps a poetic description of Kingdom come, that would be denied by earthly immortality?
- 5.
1 Corinthians 15:22, 15:23.
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Hulsroj, P. (2015). Is That Really a Question??. In: What If We Don't Die?. Springer Praxis Books(). Copernicus, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19093-8_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19093-8_2
Publisher Name: Copernicus, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19092-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19093-8
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