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Death: The asymmetry mystery
1College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA.
Bioethics
|July 14, 2023
Summary
We fear death but not prenatal nonexistence, though both deprive us of future goods. This paper argues the badness of death stems from losing future goods, a loss asymmetrical to past nonexistence.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Mind
- Existential Philosophy
- Ethics
Background:
- The asymmetry between fearing death and not regretting prenatal nonexistence is a philosophical puzzle.
- Both death and prenatal nonexistence represent a deprivation of potential goods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and reject explanations for the badness of death that do not involve the deprivation of goods.
- To propose a novel explanation for the badness of death based on an asymmetrical loss of goods.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical argumentation and analysis.
- Rejection of alternative explanations for the badness of death.
- Development of a new theory centered on asymmetrical deprivation.
Main Results:
- Explanations based solely on deprivation of goods are insufficient.
- Death deprives us of a good that is asymmetrical concerning the future versus the past.
- This asymmetry justifies differing attitudes towards death and prenatal nonexistence.
Conclusions:
- The badness of death is best explained by the asymmetrical loss of future goods.
- This asymmetry accounts for our differing emotional responses to death and prenatal nonexistence.
- The paper adopts an unconventional structure to mirror its mysterious content.
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