The Four Fears

How Philosophy deals with the Fear of Death

The Concept of Immorality

MAN AND DEATH

But first, What is Death?Death is the permanent cessation of all

biological functions that sustain a living organism.

Death happens when life ends.

Death is the cessation of consciousness.

Death can also be associated with the Grim Reaper:

And skulls..

And tombstones…

The Four Fears

1. The Fear of Death

When people say that they fear death, it is really not death itself they fear but rather:

Physical process of death• Psychological process of death

The fear of pain and physical agonyPsychological torment of letting go and leaving behind everything and

the one they love

2. Fear of Punishment

People fear after death actually harbor anxieties about one particular possible set of events that they fear might happen after their bodily deaths. These are people who believe in life after death and anticipated divine moral day of judgment, along with its accompanying punishment for what they have done in this life.

3. Fear of the UnknownOne of the most common forms of human

fear is the fear of the unknown. The fear is related to our deep need to feel in control. When we know what is going on, we can feel some sense of control over our environment or our own fortunes, however accurate or delusory that sense might be. The unknown allows for no sure plans or reasonable expectations.

4. Fear of annihilationThis is the fear of death that gives many

contemporary men night terrors. They find themselves suddenly aware that they will inevitably face death, and that what they will confront may in fact be the total cessation of conscious experience, the annihilation of a person they have been, forever.

How Philosophy Deals With the Fear of Death

The Stoic ResponseIt tackles the fear of the process of dying.“Life could never dish out to us, and make us

endure, more than we were capable of taking.” – Seneca, Epictetus, M. Aurelius

At a certain point, the pain is too intense that we lose unconsciousness and no longer suffer.

Suicide as a means on ending non-endurable suffering.

“God, or nature, will never force us to bear on this earth what we cannot in fact endure.”

The Natural Process Argument

Death is just natural; therefore, it should not be feared.

It should be accepted.The process of dying and the state of death,

according to naturalists, are just parts of life or nature.

The Necessity ArgumentDeath is important to… The appreciation of life. The cherishing of

every bit of moment. Evolutionary improvement, as generations

come and go, a more valuable state of good will be present on earth.

The Agnostic ArgumentSyllogistically speaking,

It is wrong (inappropriate or irrational) to fear something unless you know that it can harm you.

You don’t know that the state of death can harm you.

Therefore, it is wrong to fear the state of death.• The process of dying will hurt but will be limited.• Death is eternal and unknown. It could be great

or not. • Our attitudes and emotions should not be easily

swayed given how little we know about death.

The Two Eternities ArgumentBefore we were born, we were just a part of a

non-existent eternity, which doesn’t obviously hurt or deprive us.

After we die, we’ll be again part of that non-existent eternity.

These two eternities are congruent, so our state of death will be similar to our state before living.

So, why fear death, when we actually have experience the eternity past?

Epicurus’ ArgumentWhen you exist, your death does not, and what

does not exist can’t harm you.When your death exists, you do not, and what

does not exist cannot be harmed.It is irrational to fear what can’t harm you.It is irrational to fear when you can’t be harmed.At any time, either you exist or your death exists.Thus, for any time either death can’t harm you,

or you can’t be harmed by death.Therefore, it is irrational at any time to fear

death.

Reflection or ThoughtsFor a long time, people haven’t exactly

reached a precise argument regarding Death and Dying.

Even with all these, philosophies, some people are unmoved and are still have that fear of death.

Death is more likely a conundrum than a train of thought.

The Concepts of Immortality

Philosophers who believe that death is the end, because they do not believe that there is any such thin as soul or incorporeal mind to survive bodily death, have offered up their own concepts of immortality to help reconcile us to our physical demise. These are not concepts of the immortality of the soul, or of any continuation into the future offered as something like consolations to which we can cling.

The following discussions look at the most standard:1. Social Immortality2. Cultural Immortality3. Cosmic immortality4. Scientific immortality

Social Immortality

This concept belongs to people that when they die, they will live on in their children. This is a belief that we can leave something of ourselves behind when we die, throughout genetic offspring.

Cultural Immortality

This relates with people who would like to achieve immortality through their artistic works.

Cosmic Immortality

People who belong to this group usually say when they die, "I want to be cremated and my ashes be spread out in the forest, because when my molecules can enter the earth, and then enter the plants and the animals who feed on those plants, and I will be disbursed, spread around to the point that, ultimately, I will be blended in with the universe, and have a sort of cosmic immortality.".

Scientific Immortality

This is certainly the most interesting, because it is only one to address our desire to live on, not just in memories of others, in the products of our work, or in our molecules, but with conscious experience. Here, we want to live on as a person, not just an influence.

-With the modern medical advancements, we can preserve our looks and be "better/younger" physiologically in contrast with our chronological age.

-Surgery and transplant have extended many people's lives far beyond what they would otherwise have been.

-The rise of Cryonics ( practice of freezing dead in hopes that once medical science has come out to understand how to reverse their condition, they can be thawed out to new and endless life)

- Rise of generation of computers which will be able of supporting all the contents of neural system.