Lecture Description
The lecture begins with a continued discussion of the Cartesian argument and its weaknesses. The lecture then turns to Plato's metaphysical views in the context of his work, Phaedo. The key point in the discussion is the idea that in addition to the ordinary empirical world that we are familiar with, we posit the existence of a second realm in which the Platonic forms exist. These forms are the abstract properties that we attribute to physical objects, such as beauty, justice, goodness and so on. Since it is the soul that conceives of these Platonic forms and ideas, Plato argues that the soul not only outlives the body but lasts forever. It is perfect, immaterial and indestructible.
Course Index
- Course Introduction
- The Nature of Persons: Dualism vs. Physicalism
- Arguments for the Existence of the Soul, Part I
- Introduction to Plato's Phaedo; Arguments for the existence of the soul, Part II
- Arguments for the existence of the soul, Part III: Free will and near-death experiences
- Arguments for the existence of the soul, Part IV; Plato, Part I
- Plato, Part II: Arguments for the immortality of the soul
- Plato, Part III: Arguments for the immortality of the soul (cont.)
- Plato, Part IV: Arguments for the immortality of the soul (cont.)
- Personal identity, Part I: Identity across space and time and the soul theory
- Personal identity, Part II: The body theory and the personality theory
- Personal identity, Part III: Objections to the personality theory
- Personal identity, Part IV; What matters?
- What matters (cont.); The nature of death, Part I
- The nature of death (cont.); Believing you will die
- Dying Alone; The Badness of Death, Part I
- The Badness of Death, Part II: The Deprivation Account
- The Badness of Death, Part III; Immortality, Part I
- Immortality Part II; The Value of Life, Part I
- The Value of Life, Part II; Other Bad Aspects of Death, Part I
- Other Bad Aspects of Death, Part II
- Fear of Death
- Suicide, Part I: The Rationality of Suicide
- Suicide, Part II: Deciding Under Uncertainty
- Suicide, Part III: The Morality of Suicide and Course Conclusion
Course Description
There is one thing I can be sure of: I am going to die. But what am I to make of that fact? This course will examine a number of issues that arise once we begin to reflect on our mortality. The possibility that death may not actually be the end is considered. Are we, in some sense, immortal? Would immortality be desirable? Also a clearer notion of what it is to die is examined. What does it mean to say that a person has died? What kind of fact is that? And, finally, different attitudes to death are evaluated. Is death an evil? How? Why? Is suicide morally permissible? Is it rational? How should the knowledge that I am going to die affect the way I live my life?