IN-PERSON ONLY: Death, Immortality, and the Meaning of Life
About
Monday, September 21, 28, October 5, 19, and 26 (No class on October 12) 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.THIS COURSE WILL BE RECORDED.Register Here We are going to die. However, this regular event for every living thing has led to deep philosophical questions and reflections. In this course, we will examine several questions and issues that arise when we ponder our own deaths, and what, if anything, comes after. We will first discuss questions about human nature, asking: are we souls, animals, brains, bundles of mental states, etc.? Do we need to have the same body, brain, or memories to be the same person over time? We will then discuss the value of death—is it good or bad? A common assumption is that death is bad because it harms us. We will examine Epicurean arguments that reject this common assumption. We will then discuss the value of immortality—is it good or bad? We will explore some of the major ideas from different global traditions of life after death, such as resurrection or reincarn
