PHIL 176: Death

Lecture 20 - The value of life, Part II; Other bad aspects of death, Part I << previous session | next session >>

Overview:

Lecture 20 continues the discussion of the value of life. It considers the neutral container theory, which holds that the value of life is simply a function of its contents, both pleasant and painful, and contrasts this with the valuable container theory, which assigns value to being alive itself. The lecture then turns to a consideration of some of the other aspects of death that may contribute to the badness of death. Among the issues addressed are the inevitability, variability and unpredictability of death.

Reading assignment:

Kaufmann, Walter. "Death." In The Faith of a Heretic. New York: New American Library, 1959. pp. 353-376

Class lecture:

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Resources:

Figures 20.1-20.2 [PDF]