Immortality

La reflexión sobre la inmortalidad en la obra de Unamno: Filosofía de la existencia, epistemología y pensamiento religioso

by Santiago Juan-Navarro

Published in Cuadernos de ALDEEU 14 (1998): 111-26.

La interrogante sobre la inmortalidad del ser humano ocupa un lugar central en el pensamiento de Unamuno. Alrededor de... more La interrogante sobre la inmortalidad del ser humano ocupa un lugar central en el pensamiento de Unamuno. Alrededor de esta cuestión giran los temas esenciales de su obra: las disquisiciones sobre el ser del hombre (mosofía de la existencia), las reflexiones acerca del conocimiento y la verdad (epistemología), su incursiones ocasionales en la crítica literaria y, muy especialmente, su pensamiento religioso. En todos estos casos, el ansia de inmortalidad, la superación del fenómeno de la muerte se manifiesta como el motivo estructural tanto de sus ensayos como de sus obras de ficción.

Agostino, o dell’impossibile felicità dei mortali: vita felice e immortalità nel libro XIII del «De trinitate»

by Giovanni Catapano

in La vita in questione. Potenziamento o compimento dell’essere umano?, a cura di A. Aguti («Anthropologica. Annuario di studi filosofici del Centro Studi Jacques Maritain»), Brescia: Editrice La Scuola, 2011, ISBN 978-88-350-2846-8, pp. 71-85

L’articolo analizza una sezione del libro XIII del «De trinitate» di Agostino d’Ippona (354-430), in cui si sostiene... more L’articolo analizza una sezione del libro XIII del «De trinitate» di Agostino d’Ippona (354-430), in cui si sostiene che la vita felice dell’uomo non è possibile senza l’immortalità. Partendo dall’assioma del desiderio universale di felicità, Agostino discute il paradosso rappresentato dalla pluralità di opinioni sull’essenza della vita felice e respinge la definizione relativistica della stessa come “vivere a proprio piacimento”. Prendendo lo spunto dall’«Hortensius» di Cicerone, il vescovo di Ippona stabilisce due condizioni imprescindibili della vita felice: avere una volontà buona e possedere tutto ciò che si vuole. Quindi Agostino, in polemica contro i filosofi, tenta di dimostrare che la seconda condizione è irrealizzabile in una vita destinata a terminare con la morte e diventa possibile solo in uno stato di immortalità. L’articolo cerca di mettere in risalto le implicazioni di questa dottrina in relazione alla questione della “vita buona”.

The paper analyzes a section of Augustine of Hippo's «De Trinitate» (354-430), where it is argued that a human being's fulfilled life is not possible without immortality. Starting with the axiom of universal desire in happiness, Augustine debates the paradox concerning the plurality of opinions about the essence of a fulfilled life, and he rejects the relativistic definition of "living as one pleases". Taking one's cue from Cicero's «Hortensius», the Bishop of Hippo states two necessary conditions for a fulfilled life: having a good moral will and having everything you want. Therefore, protesting against philosophers, Augustine attempts to demonstrate that the latter is impossible to achieve during a life destined to end in death and is possible only in an immortal state. The paper highlights the implications of this doctrine in connection to the question of "good moral life".

Unruly immortalists – Cancer cells

by Gudrun Bielz

Skin, this tremendous landscape of senses, our biggest sensual organ, has provided cells that have transformed into pluripotent stem cells, ...

There is no precision – There is approximation

by Gudrun Bielz

Introducing new algorithms into computer and network communication models deals with the motion of approximation towards precision, though there is no escape from approximation. Perhaps the introduction of variable precision opens a window into another narrative? Which algorithms can I introduce into human communication?

A feeling of mortality - A hell of a malady

by Gudrun Bielz

The C word - C as in C (cancer)

Crossing the Time Vortex: Retrospective on Doctor Who (2005-10)

by Phoebe Poon

Published in Philament, vol. 16 (August 2010): 75-84.

Tantrické příběhy o nesmrtelnosti: Literatura bengálských náthů

by Lubomír Ondračka

in: Lubomír Ondračka (ed.), Mé zlaté Bengálsko: Studie k bengálskému náboženství a kultuře věnované Haně Preinhaelterové k jejím sedmdesátinám, Praha: ExOriente a FF UK, 2008, s. 13-34.

"Tantric Stories about Immortality: The Literature of the Bengali Naths". In: Lubomír Ondračka (ed.), My Golden Bengal: Studies on Bengali Religion and Culture Presented to Hana Preinhalterová on the Occasion of her 70th Birthday (in Czech)

58. Les Hypérboréens, in Michel Viegnes, ed. Imaginaire des points cardinaux. Aux quatre angles du monde, (Actes du colloque organisé par l’Université Sthendal de Grenoble), Paris 2005, 147-155.

by Zoe Petre

Imaginary geographies of the Archaic Greece told stories about two realms of the dead/immortals, one at south, near... more Imaginary geographies of the Archaic Greece told stories about two realms of the dead/immortals, one at south, near Ethiopia, peopled by the Hyoernotioi, the other at north, the land of the Hyperboreioi, who were as well cultural heroes and hosts of the god Apollo.

48. L’immortalité du roi Charnabon, in Faţetele istoriei. Existenţe, identităţi, Dinamici. Omagiu acad. Şt. Ştefănescu, Bucureşti 2000, 395-406.

by Zoe Petre

Hyginus the Astronomer tells a story about a king of the Getae named Carnabon, who tried to kill traitorously the hero... more Hyginus the Astronomer tells a story about a king of the Getae named Carnabon, who tried to kill traitorously the hero Triptolemus wandering to spread the agricultural techniques and rites. Some philologists from the XIX c. proposed to identify Hyginus' story with the intrigue of Sophocles's lost drama Triptolemus. The hypothesis is not currently accepted, but explains how in a fragment from Sophocles' play appears the same name of Charnabon, king of the Getae. The paper follows the implications of the supposed conflict which opposed the Demetrian hero to the Getae's king.

Immortal Fetuses

by Daniela Cutas

Cambridge Quarterly of Health Care Ethics 2008; 17; 3

I will look at two imaginary examples with the purpose of challenging some of the underlying intuitions that affect... more I will look at two imaginary examples with the purpose of challenging some of the underlying intuitions that affect our views on immortality. I will argue that if it ever becomes possible to make our future children immortal, to refuse to do so would be wrong. Similarly, if one day we found out that we were carrying immortal fetuses we should not try to make them mortal. The argument in both cases relies on the view that condemning our offspring to a limited life-span would harm them in ways which, in the normal conditions of parenthood, we agree are not desirable (or even permissible). And conversely, making our children immortal or allowing them to stay immortal would empower them and increase their range of meaningful choices in the future whilst not denying them death if they desire it.

Minima Philosophica: Onsterfelijkheid

by Maartje Schermer

Filosofie en Praktijk 2011, 3, 58-51

Review of "Onsterfelijkheid" by Ilja Maso (Dutch)

by Titus Rivas

Published in Terugkeer, 2008, Vol. 19, Nr 1, p. 31.

Is God and immortality necessary for meaning in life?

by Daniel Avital

This paper is primarily focused on William Lane Craig's article The Absurdity of Life without God. The main focus is... more This paper is primarily focused on William Lane Craig's article The Absurdity of Life without God. The main focus is on challenging Craig on the grounds that 1) his assumption that moral relativism necessarily entails nihilism simply does not follow and 2) that the conditions he advances as necessary for `objective meaning' are in fact both counter-intuitive and too strict. I offer an alternative conception of `objective meaning' that draws on Wittgenstein's Private Language Argument and on MacDowell's well known essay Values as Secondary Qualities.

Doting on the Beyond: Descartes and the Promise of Immortality

by Marc Bobro

A draft of the first 50 pages or so. It's a little more "popular" than my usual fare. I'm looking for your input: Are there parts that are unclear? Are there parts that don't make sense? Does it raise interesting questions that I fail to address? (Since this a draft, please do not cite.)

A critique of Descartes' account of immortality. (Draft only. Do not cite.) A critique of Descartes' account of immortality. (Draft only. Do not cite.)

The Hereafter in the Gnostic Religion

by Dina Ripsman Eylon

This article investigates the beliefs in the afterlife in the Nag Hammadi literature.

This paper examines the different gnostic compositions of the Nag Hammadi corpus and concludes through conceptual and... more This paper examines the different gnostic compositions of the Nag Hammadi corpus and concludes through conceptual and textual analysis that there is no consensus concerning the essence and the origin of the human soul. The lack of dogmatic teachings enabled this pluralism of ideas to thrive within the gnostic communities of the first centuries of the Common Era. Dualism of good and evil runs like a common thread through the works and serves as the building block for the development of notions of the afterlife. Even though they do not exhibit a clear belief in reincarnation, the writings do acknowledge certain philosophical prerequisites for the development of this belief, such as the eternity of the soul and its immortality. Gershom Scholem, the late scholar of Jewish mysticism, suggested that the notion of reincarnation in Gnosticism developed later in the pseudo-Clementinian school of thought. Indeed, the pseudo-Clementines portray the soul of Adam as being reincarnated through the biblical prophets until it settles as the pure soul of Jesus. The belief in the resurrection of Jesus plays a pivotal role in the theology of the Nag Hammadi literature. For the gnostic believer no salvation is attainable without the faith in the resurrection of Jesus, “which has already occurred!” This proclamation challenges the account in the Synoptic Gospels that describes the resurrection of Jesus as a proof of his divinity.

Daoizmo mastymo tradicijos reiksme dabartinio zmogaus gyvenime - Ge Hong 'Apglebiantis Paprastuma. Vidiniai Skyriai'

by Julius Vaitkevicius

Published in Lithuanian book-journal "Culture Studies 12. East-West: Comparative Studies IV" by Culture, Philosophy and Arts Research Institute in Vilnius, 2006

The article claims that Daoist tradition of thought through thousands of years hasn‘t lost it‘s significance and still... more The article claims that Daoist tradition of thought through thousands of years hasn‘t lost it‘s significance and still carries a meaningful message for a modern man. By analyzing important treatise “Embracing Simplicity” written in third century (Eastern Jin dynasty) by famous daoist alchemist Ge Hong, author attempts to show that for untrained mind difficult to understand daoist concepts “Mystery” (xuan) and “Immortals” (shen xian) actually are closely related to our daily life (whether it’s ancient or modern) and reveal some inspiring insights about human nature and the secret of life itself. Instead of looking upon daoist alchemy as a primitive science of chemistry or a mere quest for a legendary medicine of immortality, article gives a point of view where alchemy and immortality have more to do with the art of human‘s inner transformation; a strive for a better life; discovery and advancement of hidden human potential. The article also analyses the meanings and different interpretations of xuan and shen xian, as well as their relation to a human being.

Immortality without Boredom

by Lisa Bortolotti

Co-authored with Yujin Nagasawa and published in Ratio in 2009

In this paper we address Bernard Williams’ argument for the undesirability of immortality. Williams argues that... more In this paper we address Bernard Williams’ argument for the undesirability of immortality. Williams argues that unavoidable and pervasive boredom would characterise the immortal life of an individual with unchanging categorical desires. We resist this conclusion on the basis of the distinction between habitual and situational boredom and a psychologically realistic account of significant factors in the formation of boredom. We conclude that Williams has offered no persuasive argument for the necessity of boredom in the immortal life.

Agency, Life Extension and the Meaning of Life

by Lisa Bortolotti

Published in the Monist, 2010.

Contemporary philosophers and bioethicists argue that life extension
is bad for the individual.According to the... more Contemporary philosophers and bioethicists argue that life extension
is bad for the individual.According to the agency objection to life extension,
being constrained as an agent adds to the meaningfulness of human life.
Life extension removes constraints, and thus it deprives life of meaning.

In the paper, I concede that constrained agency contributes to the meaningfulness of human life, but reject the agency objection to life extension in its current form. Even in an extended life, decision-making remains constrained, and many obstacles to the fulfilment of an agent’s goals are preserved. Agents with longer lives are also presented with new challenges: for instance, it might be harder for them to avoid chronic boredom, and sustain their motivation to act in the pursuit of their goals.

Although objections from agency and boredom are often used in combination to support the view that a much longer life is likely to bring misery or become meaningless, I argue that the acceptance of the boredom objection undermines the persuasiveness of the agency objection.