Abstract
Will a world of immortals be more virtuous or more depraved? One could hope for more virtue because society would be rich and all possessed of immortality. However, endless time introduces a temptation to do evil to achieve a higher degree of comfort or status over eternal time. The rewards of evil would be harvested endlessly. Why not slaughter a few immortal neighbours so that you and yours will be so much better off in eternity. Why not, when there is little risk of divine retribution, since you are unlikely to ever cross the Styx? Villainy might be the drop of toxin poisoning the well of immortality, with anarchy breaking out, and armies of the righteous fighting evil, transforming the possible ideal immortal society into a societal nightmare of death and destruction.
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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
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Hulsroj, P. (2015). A World of Immortals. In: What If We Don't Die?. Springer Praxis Books(). Copernicus, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19093-8_37
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19093-8_37
Publisher Name: Copernicus, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19092-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19093-8
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