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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Book | Chapter

194127

Immortality

Kjetil Rommetveit

pp. 111-126

Abstract

A common article of faith in Western civilization has it that there exists, and should exist, a sharp line of demarcation between science and religion. The general progress of the sciences, especially the empirical and experimental, is associated with or even seen as a "cause of", secularization and a general decline in religiousness. This theme is itself a variation of a strong commitment once made in the West: when scientific knowledge increases, faith and superstition decreases. Such views can hardly be attributed to 'science itself" or to "religion itself": many practicing scientists discover God in Nature, and many religious persons take a keen interest in science. Rather, the demarcation of science and religion is an outcome of longlasting efforts and practices intrinsic to Western societies.27 This chapter explores an idea and phenomenon in which spaces between science and religion collapse: immortality. Recent years have seen a renewed turn towards engineered immortality as a serious goal for research and innovation, to the extent that it is becoming a leitmotif for the 21st century. Huge amounts of public and private money have been invested (especially in the US), and researchers have tuned their experiments towards new goals: delayed senescence, anti-aging treatments, cryo-preservation, up-and-down-loading of consciousness to computers and digital networks. The most ardent promoter of engineered immortality, transhumanism,28 is a mixed bunch of social visionaries, techno-prophets, practicing scientists, entrepreneurs, businessmen and policy makers.

Publication details

Published in:

Andersen Øyen Simen, Lund Olsen Tone, Sørensen Vaage Nora (2012) Sacred science?: on science and its interrelations with religious worldviews. Wageningen, Wageningen Academic Publishers.

Pages: 111-126

DOI: 10.3920/978-90-8686-752-3_9

Full citation:

Rommetveit Kjetil (2012) „Immortality“, In: S. Andersen øyen, T. Lund Olsen & N. Sørensen Vaage (eds.), Sacred science?, Wageningen, Wageningen Academic Publishers, 111–126.