Most people think dying would be bad for them and so they fear it. Is that fear rational? The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BCE) says no. He argues that death—as the permanent extinction of consciousness—is not bad, so we should not fear it. The Roman philosopher Lucretius (94- circa 55 BCE) agrees, and he defends Epicurus. If Epicurus and Lucretius are right, then fear of death is irrational. But are they right?
Tag: death
Euthanasia, or Mercy Killing
There are people in very bad medical conditions who want to die. Can it be morally permissible to let them die? Advocates of “passive euthanasia” argue that it can be. Their reasons, however, suggest that it can sometimes be not wrong to actively kill some patients, i.e., that “active euthanasia” can be permissible also. This essay reviews these arguments.
The Badness of Death
Author: Duncan Purves Category: Ethics, Phenomenology and Existentialism Word Count: 1000 So death, the most terrifying of ills, is nothing to us, since so long as we exist, death is not with us; but when death comes, then we do not exist. It does not then concern either the living or the dead, since for … Continue reading The Badness of Death