The evolution of European conceptions of the finitude and infinity of individual and human life

<jats:p>The article is dedicated to the evolution of European notions of the finitude and infinitude of life, examined in two interrelated planes: that of the individual person and humanity as a whole. Starting from Hannah Arendt's thesis on Christian "immortality of the individual" and the modern "potential immortality of humanity," the author undertakes a cultural and historical-philosophical analysis of the transformation of these views. The work shows that in archaic and ancient cultures, the problem of the finitude of individual existence was resolved through the invention of a picture of two realities: the finite earthly life and the infinite afterlife of the soul. Medieval Christianity deepened this solution by linking the hope for eternal life with the dogma of resurrection, which, however, did not eliminate the existential horror of death. A turning point occurs in modern times: the picture of two worlds is replaced by a naturalistic picture of a unified nature, subject to eternal laws. During this period, influenced by the projects of Francis Bacon and the Enlightenment thinkers, the idea of progress and mastery over nature takes shape, laying the foundations for the concept of immortal humanity as a collective subject of history. Special attention is paid to the genesis of the very concept of "humanity," which, contrary to intuition, is a late construct (18th-20th centuries) that arose in connection with the collapse of the estate-based society, the Westphalian system, and ideas of the unity of the human spirit (Thomas Mann). This concept is ultimately formalized after World War II through the institutionalization of human rights and international law. At the same time, the author notes a paradox: by proclaiming the immortality of humanity, modernity simultaneously, through scientific forecasts (nuclear war, ecological collapse, AI), raises the question of its finitude once again. In the concluding part of the article, the issue of psychological acceptance of finitude is raised. The author distinguishes two approaches: changing real existence and working with consciousness. Critiquing technological optimism (attempts to extend life), the author argues that immortality is not only unattainable but also existentially impossible. As a productive solution, demythologization of consciousness and active life-building, oriented towards self-realization and meaningful death, are proposed. The ideal becomes the completion of life as a meaningful act, where personal potential is exhausted and suffering is minimized. Thus, the article shifts the discussion of finitude from a purely religious or futurological discourse to the space of existential choice and cultural design.</jats:p>