[ExI] "Death gives meaning to life?"

[BillK]

On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 10:45 PM, Lee Corbin wrote:
<snip>
> That is not what they *meant* at all!  They (generally) do
> not claim that dead people have experiences---almost all
> of them are talking about the way that the possibility or
> certainty of death gives life more meaning *while* we
> are alive. So, yes, it's nonsense, but certainly not for the
> "reasons" you put forth.
>


I'm not so sure that it's nonsense.
>From the point of view that we would quite like to live for ever, then
certainly it doesn't appeal much to this forum.

But time pressure has a way of concentrating the mind.
If you know that you only have a limited time here, then you have to
consider what you would like to do with that time. The fact of death
gives an urgency to life and causes people to philosophize about the
meaning of life.
If nobody ever died, and life just goes on with no end, then there is
less pressure to do stuff. They can always do it next year if they
want to.

There is also greater significance if you sacrifice your life for something.

But obviously there is still meaning to be found in life, even without
the shadow of death.
It just has a different .......... 'flavor'.

BillK