Who wants to live forever? Immortality, authenticity, and living forever in the present

Authors: Preston, Ted¹; Dixon, Scott²

Source: International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Volume 61, Number 2, April 2007 , pp. 99-117(19)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Death is a bad thing by virtue of its ability to frustrate the subjectively valuable projects that shape our identities and render our lives meaningful. While the presumption that immortality would necessarily result in boredom worse than death proves unwarranted, if the constraint of mortality is a necessary element for virtues, relationships, and motivation to pursue our life-projects, then death might nevertheless be a necessary evil. Mortal or immortal, it's clear that the value of one's life depends on its subjectively determined quality, rather than its quantity. Thus, it is imperative to live forever in the present, with flourishing always in mind.

Keywords: Death; Immortality; Meaning; Eudaimonia

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11153-007-9114-0

Affiliations: 1: Email: tpreston@riohondo.edu 2: Email: scott.dixon@minnesota.edu

Publication date: 2007-04-01