Редактирование: Immortalism

[[File:Infinity free.png|right|thumb|178px|The [[∞|infinity symbol]], often associated with [[life extension]]]]

'''Immortalism''' – also known as '''amortalism''',<ref>http://www.orionsarm.com/xcms.php?r=oaeg-view-article&egart_uid=45f0d295904ba</ref> '''contemporary immortalism''' or '''scientific immortalism''' – is an ideology based on avoiding death. [[Max More]] defines an immortalist as one who "believes in the possibility of, and who seeks to attain, physical immortality", in contrast to a [[Longevism|longevist]], whom he describes as not necessarily desiring [[immortality]].<ref name="more">More, Max (Spring 1993). [http://www.maxmore.com/selftrns.htm "Self-Transformation: Expanding Personal Extropy"]. ''Extropy'' '''4''' (2): 15–24. "Immortalist: A person who believes in the possibility of, and who seeks to attain, physical immortality. Longevist: A person who seeks to extend their life beyond current norms (but who may not wish to live forever)."</ref>

== Usage of the term ==

From the 18th century to the 1960s, "immortalism" referred mainly to the belief in the [[immortality]] of the [[soul]].<ref name="stambler>Stambler, Ilia. (2014). [http://www.longevityhistory.com/book/Ilia%20Stambler%20-%20A%20History%20of%20Life-Extensionism%20in%20the%20Twentieth%20Century.pdf ''A History of Life-Extensionism In The Twentieth Century''.] ISBN [[Wikipedia:Special:BookSources/1500818577|1500818577]]. "It seems, the term 'Immortalism,' referring to the advocacy of radical life extension, took hold in the late 1960s, after the inauguration of the journal ''The Immortalist'' in 1967 by the Immortalist Society, led by the American founder of cryonics Robert Ettinger. The term gained in popularity after the publication of Alan Harrington philosophical-apologetic book, ''The Immortalist'', in 1969. But the term appeared in English as early as the 18th century (though since then until the 1960s it mainly referred to the belief in the immortality of the soul)."</ref> The ''Merriam-Webster'' dictionary defines the term as "a doctrine of or belief in the soul's immortality".<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immortalism ''Merriam-Webster'']</ref> ''The Ism Book'' by Peter Saint-Andre describes "immortalism" as the "belief that human beings (or, more precisely, their souls) survive after death."<ref>[http://www.ismbook.com/immortalism.html ''The Ism Book'']</ref>

However, after the 1967 publication of ''The Immortalist'', a journal by the [[Immortalist Society]], use of the term "immortalism" came to mean advocacy of extreme life extension.<ref name="stambler" /> In 1969, a book also titled "''The Immortalist''" was published, increasing the term's popularity.<ref name="stambler" />

Life-extensionist [[Maria Konovalenko]] calls scientific immortalism "a worldview based on the striving to avoid physical death or, at least, to postpone it to the maximum with the help of the achievements of exact, natural, and technical sciences."<ref>[https://mariakonovalenko.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/id-like-to-tell-you-about-the-main-problems-of-scientific-immortalism-why-the-idea-is-not-accepted-but-let-me-start-with-th/ ''Maria Konovalenko'' – "Main problems of scientific immortalism"]</ref> Academic [[Gregory Jordan]] says that contemporary immortalism "argues that scientific and technological solutions to the problem of death can be found, thus questioning the inevitability of death."<ref>[http://www.evidencebasedcryonics.org/fearless-in-the-face-of-death/ ''Evidence-Based Cryonics'' – "Fearless in the Face of Death"]</ref>

Transhumanist philosopher [[Max More]] defines an immortalist as one who "believes in the possibility of, and who seeks to attain, physical immortality".<ref name="more" /> Historian [[Ilia Stambler]] writes that "those who envision virtually no potential limit to the human life-span may be categorized as 'immortalists.'"<ref name="stambler" />

A sometimes preferred term is "[[indefinite life extension]]" to avoid the negative connotations of "immortalism".

Immortalism tends to be distinct from the more mainstream softer concept of [[cultural immortalism]].

== See also ==
* ''[[The Immortalist]]'' (2016 documentary)
* [[Immortality]]
* [[Longevism]]
* [[Technological resurrection]]

== Further reading ==

* Harrington, Alan. (1969). ''The Immortalist''.

== External links ==

* [http://hplusmagazine.com/2009/09/04/immortalism-ernest-becker-and-alan-harrington-overcoming-biological-limitatio/ ''H+ Magazine'' – "Immortalism: Ernest Becker and Alan Harrington on Overcoming Biological Limitations" by Jason Silva]
* [http://www.benbest.com/lifeext/immortal.html "Some Problems with Immortalism" by Ben Best]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3267194/ IMDb – ''The Immortalists'' (2014)]
* [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85064530.html Library of Congress – Immortalism]

== References ==

{{reflist}}
[[Category:Life extensionism]]
[[Category:Transhumanism]]
[[Category:Posthumanism]]
[[Category:Ideologies]]
[[Category:Immortalism]]