"Individualism, with its belief in the absolute value and autonomy of the person, is therefore the political expression of the Soul Narrative. All ethical and political systems are grounded in some conception of what it is to be human. The claim of the Soul Narrative that each of us is a spark of the divine, and therefore sovereign unto him- or herself, was a radical view of human nature that, once allowed to permeate social and political thinking, had far-reaching and dramatic implications. We were not merely one of the tribe, not merely Olaf-the-ax-maker, son of Olaf-the-ax-maker and latest in a long line of ax-makers, not merely a weak body fated to briefly flourish and die like a spring flower. We were individuals, and as such deserved rights, equality, freedom and democracy."

"The Soul Narrative [...] has therefore provided the principal values of our civilization - even for those who long since abandoned its mystical overtones. Whether or not we literally believe we have a soul that will go to heaven, the cosmic significance we ascribe to ourselves as unique individuals reassures us that we transcend mere biology. It convinces us that we are each special, possessing 'infinite worth' - not like the the anonymous animals that live and die in their millions around us. In pursuing the cult of the self - building careers, actualizing our potential and acquiring ever more things - we are creating a myth of immunity to extinction".

(Stephen Cave: "Immortality", page 153-154)