THAT TO STUDY PHILOSOPHY IS TO LEARN TO DIE.
A Reflection In Inquiry
I am fascinated in exploring Cicero's proclamation that by studying philosophy one is prepared for the motion of death — whether that means an emotional and or theoretical lesson on morality. If this is genuinely the case, would not the pursuit of knowledge regarding death have been exhausted by now?
I am not convinced that most academic fields of study — especially that of philosophy — have a distinct start and end to their concentrations. If that was the case, then what can come from a lesson in death?
<< Montaigne in a meme >>
What does it mean to learn to die? Can death be taught? Should we study death? What can we has a human society gain from studying the philosophy of death? Will the study of morality help us to live a “better life” or is a focus on death a potential hindrance to enjoy our current lives? Furthermore, is ignorance the ideal? What does it mean to be haunted by the absolute certainty of death?
With there being a certainty of death and a small chance of success in life — why should we take the effort to study the absolute truth?
When you focus on death, I’m skeptic to believe that it will bring positive reinforcement to live your life in a greater light. Prolonged thoughts on death and the afterlife can easily leave a person feeling depressed.
“I am not afraid of death, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
—Woody Allen
Hi there Rana, i thought your rethoric questions were really usefull!! I hope you understand my comment, i am not a native english speaker and writing about philosophy is quiet a challange!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, concerning the study of death, I believe that human kind, try no to think nor study death because if we truly lived thinking about it, everything would be meaningless.
Due to the meaningless of life, we would start following Sade philosophy and end up living at the expense of others and/or prostituting our own lives. In conclusion, the world could be a MASSIVE MESS!!
"“All universal moral principles are idle fancies.” - Sade
Nobody would find the meaning of studying, saving money, having a family, working, etc. WE COULD DIE AT ANY MOMENT!! YOLO! This is why the only meaning we would find in this sad and finit world would to have FUN and enjoy ourselfs at any price!! Our passions would be detached from racionality and as a result World War I might sound lovely!
On the other hand, what can academics teach us about death? I believe this subject is one of the only things in this world that cannot be solved and even scientist have tried to resolve the mistery but it has been pointless. That is why i ask.. what is there to teach about mortality?
In my country we usually make jokes about death, one of our tipical phrases is the following: "It is said that death is our only friend that can guarantee us that will never leave us alone.." (not funny at all! But we still laugh even if we do not know why..)
Regards,
LVM
What if a devastating plague erupts today and destroys our daily lives, like what Montaigne confronted in the 1580s. It may be melancholic or pessimistic to say that death is always near us. Although now such a statement may be perceived as being cliche, we are all 'dying' while 'living' this life.
ReplyDeleteOf course we want to forget, ignore or deny this 'fact' because it makes us uncomfortable; however, it is important to "carefully prepare for and digest"(Montaigne's expression) 'deaths', thus leading us not to be "afraid of death" but rather to make an action instead of 'dying'.
It is, in truth, a long and complex story... Perhaps the death as we think of it is another fictional creation of our minds constructed by anxiety, fear, and other psychological illusions...
I don’t know what I’m saying.. ^^
Thank you for your post, Rana.