To keep with the theme of my life, I should really be reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin right now (If you get that, you are such a creep). But alas, I am not quite that masochistic. Instead, I have read nothing new the past few days, but am going, today, to talk about death.
Specifically, what would happen if Heidegger and a Hippo Walked through Those Pearly Gates.
Like in Plato and a Platypus, Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein sought to explain philosophy through a combination of jokes and funny stories. I enjoyed it, certainly, but I can't say that it was as good as Plato and a Platypus. It just wasn't as funny, and I didn't feel like I learned as much. Still, glad I read it.
Every time I read philosophy, I find myself becoming more and more of an atheist. I hate when good theories become bad because a philosopher feels the need to bring in God (see the footnote of my last post) and I also become more aware, each time I read philosophy, of why religion was created. This book was the latter type. It spent a fairly significant amount of time explaining why humans created religion not because there was legitimate reason to believe in any religion, but because people want security after death- they want to know what is in the great unknown, and they want to think it's good. Although religions vary greatly, nearly every single one is based around the premise of some sort of afterlife, whether than be heaven, reincarnation, or something entirely different. It is thus logical to conclude that the purpose of religion is to satisfy the natural human need for feeling safe.
The book spent a fair amount of time talking about the different philosophies of how to "live in eternity now," which is a branch of philosophy that I was already fairly well educated on beforehand. I also wasn't all that interested in the parts about other-worldly contact, since I'm fairly confident that it's all bogus. What did interest me were the portions about "accepting death as a lifestyle choice" and biotechnology.
I think it's important to start off with saying that I am not afraid to die. That's not to say that I'm necessarily suicidal, but rather, that I accept that I will die, I have no control over that, and I don't think I'll care about it all that much a second after it happens, seeing as I'll be dead. I guess I am a bit of an existentialist in that I am completely comfortable with accepting my impending death- one of my favorite quotes is "Memento Mori" (Remember: you will die). I liked reading a little bit more about those philosophies.
There was a fair amount in the accepting death chapter about suicide- about how Camus spoke out against it and stuff. Plus some rather funny lines from Bill Maher like "Suicide is our way of saying to God, 'You can't fire me. I quit.'" Aside from the pointlessness of offing oneself, the book highlight some other points of view, like Hume's belief that it's a detriment to society, or how Kant believed (keeping with everything he ever wrote, bit of a one note guy) that it was our duty to not kill ourselves. I was familiar with these already, but liked reading them anyway.
The biotechnology portion was cool just because biotech is rather sweet. There was a lot about how life spans are being elongated by new technology, and how at some point, humans may indeed be immortal. And it wasn't schmaltzy either.
The one thing that I hated about this book though was "Daryl," the depressed character, terrified for death, who the book was essentially written to. The humor involving him was cheap and stupid, and I didn't like how the narrator spoke to him as if speaking to the greater audience. Ugh. Daryl was stupid. It was almost insulting to read lines directed at him that were also partially directed at the reader.
Still, You should read it.
Total Book Count: 12
Nonfiction: 1
Specifically, what would happen if Heidegger and a Hippo Walked through Those Pearly Gates.
Like in Plato and a Platypus, Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein sought to explain philosophy through a combination of jokes and funny stories. I enjoyed it, certainly, but I can't say that it was as good as Plato and a Platypus. It just wasn't as funny, and I didn't feel like I learned as much. Still, glad I read it.
Every time I read philosophy, I find myself becoming more and more of an atheist. I hate when good theories become bad because a philosopher feels the need to bring in God (see the footnote of my last post) and I also become more aware, each time I read philosophy, of why religion was created. This book was the latter type. It spent a fairly significant amount of time explaining why humans created religion not because there was legitimate reason to believe in any religion, but because people want security after death- they want to know what is in the great unknown, and they want to think it's good. Although religions vary greatly, nearly every single one is based around the premise of some sort of afterlife, whether than be heaven, reincarnation, or something entirely different. It is thus logical to conclude that the purpose of religion is to satisfy the natural human need for feeling safe.
The book spent a fair amount of time talking about the different philosophies of how to "live in eternity now," which is a branch of philosophy that I was already fairly well educated on beforehand. I also wasn't all that interested in the parts about other-worldly contact, since I'm fairly confident that it's all bogus. What did interest me were the portions about "accepting death as a lifestyle choice" and biotechnology.
I think it's important to start off with saying that I am not afraid to die. That's not to say that I'm necessarily suicidal, but rather, that I accept that I will die, I have no control over that, and I don't think I'll care about it all that much a second after it happens, seeing as I'll be dead. I guess I am a bit of an existentialist in that I am completely comfortable with accepting my impending death- one of my favorite quotes is "Memento Mori" (Remember: you will die). I liked reading a little bit more about those philosophies.
There was a fair amount in the accepting death chapter about suicide- about how Camus spoke out against it and stuff. Plus some rather funny lines from Bill Maher like "Suicide is our way of saying to God, 'You can't fire me. I quit.'" Aside from the pointlessness of offing oneself, the book highlight some other points of view, like Hume's belief that it's a detriment to society, or how Kant believed (keeping with everything he ever wrote, bit of a one note guy) that it was our duty to not kill ourselves. I was familiar with these already, but liked reading them anyway.
The biotechnology portion was cool just because biotech is rather sweet. There was a lot about how life spans are being elongated by new technology, and how at some point, humans may indeed be immortal. And it wasn't schmaltzy either.
The one thing that I hated about this book though was "Daryl," the depressed character, terrified for death, who the book was essentially written to. The humor involving him was cheap and stupid, and I didn't like how the narrator spoke to him as if speaking to the greater audience. Ugh. Daryl was stupid. It was almost insulting to read lines directed at him that were also partially directed at the reader.
Still, You should read it.
Total Book Count: 12
Nonfiction: 1
thanks for acknowleging the creeps out there, we appreciate it.
ReplyDelete*heavy breathing