Editing William Godwin (section)

=== Interest in earthly immortality ===
In his first edition of ''Political Justice'' Godwin included arguments favouring the possibility of "earthly immortality" (what would now be called [[physical immortality]]), but later editions of the book omitted this topic. Although the belief in such a possibility is consistent with his philosophy regarding perfectibility and human progress, he probably dropped the subject because of political expedience when he realised that it might discredit his other views.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Siobhan Ni Chonailla | title='Why may not man one day be immortal?': Population, perfectibility, and the immortality question in Godwin's Political Justice | journal=History of European Ideas  | volume=33 | issue=1 | year=2007 | pages=25–39 | doi = 10.1016/j.histeuroideas.2006.06.003  | s2cid=17846464 }}</ref>