A DESIRE FOR IMMORTALITY

 

For the following possible reasons: 

Not so much from observation or speculation. An example of desire by observation or speculation; I see or conceive X, I think I would like it so I desire X. An example of desire by experience; I have experienced X and desire more X. The experience of Impersonal immortality is a source of our desire for immortality:

1. Biological continuity: We experience the similarity or sameness that we have with our parents and through our offspring and with humanity as a whole as a kind of organism. These immortal traits exist through us and are experienced by us.

2. Social influence: Just as we experience the effects of the words and actions of past generations, so future generation will experience the effects of our words and actions. These immortal influences exist through us and are experienced by us.

3. Universal intelligibility: We experience the similarity or sameness that we have with reality as an intelligible thing. In other words our intellect is similar and part of the intelligible nature of the reality around us. This immortal intelligibility is experienced by us and through us by our intellect.

4. Universal truth and value: We experience and are part of the effects of the truth and value that is inherent in reality. The immortal truths and values that make reality what it is affect us just as we use those immortal truth and values to affect reality.

5. The desire for immortality follows from our natural impulse and desire to live or continue our existence. In that, the essential natural impulse and desire to continue ones existence becomes a continual desire and impulse in itself. This can be interpreted as a natural source for the desire of immortality or continual existence.

6. Following on this, the desire for immortality can be seen as evidence of our appetite for what we experience as part of our being.

7. The desire for something often precedes the possibility, apprehension or the attaining of that something. We should have a desire for immortality to provide us with a motive force to secure its possibility, apprehension or attaining it.

8. Extending our existence beyond limitations is part of human evolution. A desire for immortality can be seen as a conscience evolutionary impulse to overcome the limits of our existence and influence.

We have and do experience the impersonal immortalities of our reality and desire more.  Let’s move onto the possibility of personal immortality.

The answer to that question I think is found in the doctrine of Universals. I will take a Moderate Realist position in that universals have an independent reality from our minds in that their existence is not dependent on our awareness of them. A definition of this kind of universals is that they are the common possibilities, qualities and relationships between objects in Reality; by Reality I mean the sum total of all realities. These universals are then present in particular objects in Reality. We experience universals by our perception of the similarity, sameness or commonality of objects and ourselves in Reality.

That have been said, the search for personal immortality I think would begin with the awareness of universals in one’s own being.  

Okay, moving on to the possibility of personal immortality. Let’s assume for the moment that we pass from the individual intellect of this life into the universal immortal intelligibility of Reality. So that we remain an intelligible part of Reality, that is to say our possibility of being is not lost. Yes, I think this is more or less an impersonal immortality for oneself.

But suppose there is universal-ness about a person that becomes more personal as we pass on. I think the best word to describe this personal universal-ness is spirituality. Our spirituality as we pass on move into a more individual spirit condition. Of course the spirit of our spirituality takes part in the universal immortal intelligibility of Reality. The spirit I would think would be more substantial than the relative insubstantiality of spirituality.