'Intimations of immortality': a response to Bernard Williams

In this article, I address Bernard Williams's famous objection to immortality. Following others, I conceive of Williams's argument as presenting a dilemma for those who hope in immortality. The first lemma involves utter boredom, while the second lemma involves loss of one's distincti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Religious studies
Main Author: Thompson, Jon W. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Cambridge Univ. Press [2019]
In: Religious studies
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Williams, Bernard 1929-2003 / Immortality / Heaven
RelBib Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
CB Christian life; spirituality
NBC Doctrine of God
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Description
Summary:In this article, I address Bernard Williams's famous objection to immortality. Following others, I conceive of Williams's argument as presenting a dilemma for those who hope in immortality. The first lemma involves utter boredom, while the second lemma involves loss of one's distinctive character. I argue that each lemma fails to admit realistic alternative possibilities. The first fails to admit the possibility that our disposition to boredom is a radically contingent disposition. The second fails to admit the possibility that we retain some of our most important desires and projects in immortality - even while cycling through an array of desires and projects.
ISSN:1469-901X
Contains:Enthalten in: Religious studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/S0034412518000537