Very thoughtful and readable piece I am still chewing on. For now, just this....
After all, there is no maximizing of future wellbeing if there are no future lives at all.
This sentiment seems based on the very widely held assumption that life is better than death. It seems helpful to keep in mind that there is actually no proof to validate this assumption. There are many theories which can be explored and respected, but imho, the bottom line is that nobody knows.
This insight matters to me because if nobody knows what death is, and we have as yet no evidence that anyone can know, then we are liberated from the constraint of facts (which we don’t have) and each of us is free to design our own relationship with this very important unknown.
Reason suggests that we should, each by our own methods, attempt to form as positive a relationship with death as we can. To the degree we succeed in that, such a success could have profound effect upon how we live. You write...
And in a world where many are dissatisfied with religion, EA can offer a vital alternative.
Yes, and to the degree this secular “religion” of EA can positively affect our relationship with the fundamental reality of our human situation, to the degree it can successfully provide some of the same existential reassurance as traditional religions attempt to do, it may achieve it’s most maximum effectiveness in making the world a better place.
A great many of the problems which EA seeks to solve arise out the very fundamental human fear of death. So long as we assume that this life is all we have, based on no proof at all, we may find ourselves trapped within a very limited perspective which can lead to various forms of desperation which do not make the world a better place.
First off, I appreciate the reply. Hmmm. This is true though—no one simply knows what death is or feels like. It’s even more grating because no one can tell us what it is or feels like.
The philosopher Raymond Smullyan liked to think of life as something of an umbrella of realities, akin to a video game with several levels. He thought hallucination was one level and dreams were another and perhaps death was yet another as well. It’s certainly an intriguing way to look at it.
I do think though that one of the few reasons people still cling to religion is because it transforms or attempts to transform death from something to fear into something to await. Whether EA can or should try to do the same is an interesting question that I cannot answer.
I do know that in the absence of that, we’ve seen all sort of really weird movements crop up and a naked, visceral fear of death has risen to prominence in the form of cryogenics. Perhaps, we have more than one life. But at the very least, it seems spending most of it in fervent attempts to extend it is rather ironic.
Very thoughtful and readable piece I am still chewing on. For now, just this....
This sentiment seems based on the very widely held assumption that life is better than death. It seems helpful to keep in mind that there is actually no proof to validate this assumption. There are many theories which can be explored and respected, but imho, the bottom line is that nobody knows.
This insight matters to me because if nobody knows what death is, and we have as yet no evidence that anyone can know, then we are liberated from the constraint of facts (which we don’t have) and each of us is free to design our own relationship with this very important unknown.
Reason suggests that we should, each by our own methods, attempt to form as positive a relationship with death as we can. To the degree we succeed in that, such a success could have profound effect upon how we live. You write...
Yes, and to the degree this secular “religion” of EA can positively affect our relationship with the fundamental reality of our human situation, to the degree it can successfully provide some of the same existential reassurance as traditional religions attempt to do, it may achieve it’s most maximum effectiveness in making the world a better place.
A great many of the problems which EA seeks to solve arise out the very fundamental human fear of death. So long as we assume that this life is all we have, based on no proof at all, we may find ourselves trapped within a very limited perspective which can lead to various forms of desperation which do not make the world a better place.
First off, I appreciate the reply. Hmmm. This is true though—no one simply knows what death is or feels like. It’s even more grating because no one can tell us what it is or feels like.
The philosopher Raymond Smullyan liked to think of life as something of an umbrella of realities, akin to a video game with several levels. He thought hallucination was one level and dreams were another and perhaps death was yet another as well. It’s certainly an intriguing way to look at it.
I do think though that one of the few reasons people still cling to religion is because it transforms or attempts to transform death from something to fear into something to await. Whether EA can or should try to do the same is an interesting question that I cannot answer.
I do know that in the absence of that, we’ve seen all sort of really weird movements crop up and a naked, visceral fear of death has risen to prominence in the form of cryogenics. Perhaps, we have more than one life. But at the very least, it seems spending most of it in fervent attempts to extend it is rather ironic.