解密人类对长生不老的痴迷
<p><span word="IMMORTALITY">IMMORTALITY</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="age">age</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="obsession">obsession</span>. <span word="Plenty">Plenty</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="literature">literature</span> <span word="deals">deals</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="subject">subject</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Sumerian">Sumerian</span> <span word="Epic">Epic</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Gilgamish">Gilgamish</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="poems">poems</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Homer">Homer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="writings">writings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Old">Old</span> <span word="Testament">Testament</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="quest">quest</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="motivated">motivated</span> <span word="medieval">medieval</span> <span word="alchemists">alchemists</span>, <span word="modern">modern</span> <span word="techno">techno</span>-<span word="Utopians">Utopians</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mystics">mystics</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="centuries">centuries</span>.</p><p>长生不老是人类世世代代所痴迷的目标。从苏美尔的吉尔伽美什史诗到荷马史诗，再到旧约故事，数不清的文学作品触及到这个主题。从中世纪的炼金术士到现代的科幻乌托邦主义者和神秘主义者，千百年来人们孜孜不倦地追求着永生。</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="survey">survey</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="subject">subject</span>, <span word="Stephen">Stephen</span> <span word="Cave">Cave</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="philosopher">philosopher</span>, <span word="argues">argues</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="man">man</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="various">various</span> <span word="tales">tales</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="immortality">immortality</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="boiled">boiled</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="basic">basic</span> "<span word="narratives">narratives</span>". <span word="The">The</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="simplest">simplest</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="theory">theory</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span>: <span word="do">do</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="medieval">medieval</span> <span word="alchemists">alchemists</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="managed">managed</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="discover">discover</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="elixir">elixir</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="avoid">avoid</span> <span word="dying">dying</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="concerns">concerns</span> <span word="resurrection">resurrection</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="coming">coming</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="dying">dying</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="belief">belief</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Abrahamic">Abrahamic</span> <span word="religions">religions</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="immaterial">immaterial</span> <span word="soul">soul</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="persist">persist</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="death">death</span> <span word="dates">dates</span> <span word="back">back</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="formal">formal</span> <span word="form">form</span>, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Plato">Plato</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="forms">forms</span> <span word="Mr">Mr</span> <span word="Cave">Cave</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="narrative">narrative</span>. <span word="His">His</span> <span word="fourth">fourth</span> <span word="narrative">narrative</span> <span word="deals">deals</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="immortality">immortality</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="achievement">achievement</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="becoming">becoming</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="famous">famous</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="one">one</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="lives">lives</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ages">ages</span>.</p><p>英国哲学家史蒂芬.卡夫在对这个主题的研究中，把人们关于永生的观念概括为四个基本的“说法”。第一个，也是最简单的（至少在理论上）：找到中世纪炼金术士们从未找到的一种神药，从而避免死亡。第二个是再生，即在死后又恢复生命，这是所有三个亚伯拉罕系宗教（基督教、犹太教和伊斯兰教）所共有的信仰。第三个“说法”是关于非物质的灵魂不死的理念，这种理念的正式形态，至少可以追溯到柏拉图。第四个，是通过个人成就获得永生，即，一个人可以使自己变得非常有名，以至于人们将时代记住他的名字。</p>
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