Death and meaning of life

[Zarathustra]

If you wanto to find a definition of death and meaning of life you will end up building metaphysics, that is a system of ideas entirely exposed to criticism. Both the concepts of “definition” and “meaning” need to be radically criticized. As a consequence, I think the best way to approach life and death is not the traditional phylosophical way of wanting to “understand”. The concept of understanding is exposed to criticism as well. I think the best way is adopting this radical criticism as a positive ground, from where we can build a new approach to existence, based on humility, weakness, humanity, subjectivity. On this ground you can build not only a philosophy, but a whole spirituality, a way of life.

Death sounds a terrible thing to happen to an individual, and it is the destiny of all the livings. Most of them seem not even aware of the inevitable future. Philosophical reflections bring the issue into focus.

[Zarathustra]

Yes, philosophy is a risky business.

Do you mean if they hadn't done philosophy, they would be all alive now?

No, most of them would probably have died from something else.

From not doing philosophy?

[Zarathustra]

So your definition of death is, a process that you cannot define?

How do you suppose death can be defined, since you are asking?

Wouldn't non-activity sleep terribly boring? Why not try have fun instead?

Not really, I have no awareness of being bored while asleep.

Of course, in sleep you cannot know that you are bored.
Would it mean that you are being deceived in sleep?

I do have fun, my fun in life is looking forward and knowing I get to go to bed every night.

But in sleep you don't know you are having fun either.
Are you being cheated again?

[Zarathustra]

Ice cream of course, but what about all the more ridiculous ailments philosophers suffer from, such as slow book worm disease and the like.

We know that Nietzsche's philosophy had a very detrimental effect on his health, but it was his moustache that finished him off when it finally suffocated him. So things are often not straight forward.

That's awful. Thank God I can't grow a moustache.

Why not? Stop shaving for a few days, and you will have a moustache.

[bahman]

I realised almost all the authors of my philosophical books have died.
If death is for definite end of all the livings, then is there meaning in life?

Death has nothing to do with the meaning of life.

How do you define death, and meaning of life?

Death could be the termination of life or a change in life. No one can define the meaning.

[iambiguous]

If death is for definite end of all the livings, then is there meaning in life?

Here, pick one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_p ... ideologies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_s ... philosophy

Just skip over the "religious variants" on the lists.

How do you define death, and meaning of life?

More to point [mine] after you define them, please note how you would go about actually demonstrating to others that they ought to define them in the same way. Indeed, that, in however they define life in relationship to death, they have succeeded in turn in translating that into the most rational and virtuous behaviors in which to choose from.

Given a particular context.

[Zarathustra]

I realised almost all the authors of my philosophical books have died.
If death is for definite end of all the livings, then is there meaning in life?

Death has nothing to do with the meaning of life.

Isn't death part of life? Because without life, there is no death.

How do you define death, and meaning of life?

Death could be the termination of life or a change in life. No one can define the meaning.

If death is part of life, then it seems possible to define the meaning of life.

[bahman]

I realised almost all the authors of my philosophical books have died.
If death is for definite end of all the livings, then is there meaning in life?

Death has nothing to do with the meaning of life.

Isn't death part of life? Because without life, there is no death.

Yes, there could not be death if there is no life but what this has to do with meaning?

How do you define death, and meaning of life?

Death could be the termination of life or a change in life. No one can define the meaning.

If death is part of life, then it seems possible to define the meaning of life.

What is the meaning of life to you?

[Harbal]

Do you mean if they hadn't done philosophy, they would be all alive now?

No, most of them would probably have died from something else.

From not doing philosophy?

Very possibly. It is a little known fact that Arthur Schopenhauer was not only a respected philosopher, but also an accomplished trapeze artist, which is quite remarkable considering he first took up the practice at the age of 71. His "gimmick" was to work without a safety net and, had he not died from a medical condition at the age of 72, could well have plummeted to his death while not being engaged in philosophy.

[Dontaskme]

So your definition of death is, a process that you cannot define?

How do you suppose death can be defined, since you are asking?

Wouldn't non-activity sleep terribly boring? Why not try have fun instead?

Not really, I have no awareness of being bored while asleep.

Of course, in sleep you cannot know that you are bored.
Would it mean that you are being deceived in sleep?

I do have fun, my fun in life is looking forward and knowing I get to go to bed every night.

But in sleep you don't know you are having fun either.
Are you being cheated again?

But for me, that’s the fun part of being aware of being alive, is knowing that one day I’ll be dead, and knowing nothing and never being bored, or deceived, or cheated. Meaning and purpose will not exist for me anymore, I’ll finally be able to imagine how little I care about anything ever again.

[nemos]

Life is harmful because it wears down the body.
Life is a disease with 100% mortality.

Only what remains has meaning, everything else is temporal and meaningless. From a biological point of view, individual interests may conflict with the interests of the species, and the interests of life as a whole. On the other hand, interests will also determine the understanding of meaningfulness.
If you put your personality above everything else, then from this point the issues of meaning will also be considered. But if you can see yourself as part of the whole, then your understanding of meaning will change accordingly, making death a logical and necessary part of life.

Life is an opportunity, for example to say something.

[Zarathustra]

Death has nothing to do with the meaning of life.

Isn't death part of life? Because without life, there is no death.

Yes, there could not be death if there is no life but what this has to do with meaning?

Death could be the termination of life or a change in life. No one can define the meaning.

If death is part of life, then it seems possible to define the meaning of life.

What is the meaning of life to you?

I am a seeker. Seeking for the meaning of life is the meaning of life for me.

[Zarathustra]

No, most of them would probably have died from something else.

From not doing philosophy?

Very possibly. It is a little known fact that Arthur Schopenhauer was not only a respected philosopher, but also an accomplished trapeze artist, which is quite remarkable considering he first took up the practice at the age of 71. His "gimmick" was to work without a safety net and, had he not died from a medical condition at the age of 72, could well have plummeted to his death while not being engaged in philosophy.

When one has started reading or writing books, one cannot die until the work finishes properly. It must be a good reason to go on suppose.

[Zarathustra]

How do you suppose death can be defined, since you are asking?




Not really, I have no awareness of being bored while asleep.

Of course, in sleep you cannot know that you are bored.
Would it mean that you are being deceived in sleep?

I do have fun, my fun in life is looking forward and knowing I get to go to bed every night.

But in sleep you don't know you are having fun either.
Are you being cheated again?

But for me, that’s the fun part of being aware of being alive, is knowing that one day I’ll be dead, and knowing nothing and never being bored, or deceived, or cheated. Meaning and purpose will not exist for me anymore, I’ll finally be able to imagine how little I care about anything ever again.

But death is more mystery than life, cheats, deceptions and darkness all the rest of it.

[Zarathustra]

Life is harmful because it wears down the body.
Life is a disease with 100% mortality.

Only what remains has meaning, everything else is temporal and meaningless. From a biological point of view, individual interests may conflict with the interests of the species, and the interests of life as a whole. On the other hand, interests will also determine the understanding of meaningfulness.
If you put your personality above everything else, then from this point the issues of meaning will also be considered. But if you can see yourself as part of the whole, then your understanding of meaning will change accordingly, making death a logical and necessary part of life.

Life is an opportunity, for example to say something.

Would you say you could be a pessimist similar to Schopenhauer?