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http://dx.doi.org/10.17703/JCCT.2017.3.4.27

A Justification on the Evil of Death  

Kwon, Su-Hyeon (Dept. of Ethics Education, Sungshin University)
Publication Information
The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology / v.3, no.4, 2017 , pp. 27-33 More about this Journal
Abstract
Epicurus and Lucretius expressed that death is neither evil to the living nor the dead. On the contrary, our everyday perception of death is that death is evil. Such everyday perception might seem in lack of introspection and blind but our living environment and form of life are strongly supporting this perception. This paper argues that there is reasonable cause for believing death is evil. In order to justify this argue, this paper critically supports Thomas Nagel's 'Deprivation Theory', which identifies the cause of death being in evil in the deprivation of life. This paper investigates the main substances of 'Deprivation Theory, suggests the related problems and therefore reconstitutes the main arguments of 'Deprivation Theory, resulting in the investigation of the following facts; that we cannot avoid the fate of death, but that our existence is headed towards the future, and that as independent individuals we have infinite possibilities of life. Death is natural to humanity as species, but as independent individuals death deprives us from possible life and future. Therefore, death we encounter in our living environment and form of life is evil. As species, we can agree with Epicurus and Lecretius' view, but as independent individuals we cannot share them.
Keywords
Death; life; Thomas Nagel; George Pitcher; Deprivation Theory;
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