This video has influenced me to buy those three Ernest Becker books. I've been reading a good deal of existentialist philosophy lately and these books appear to be right up my alley. I can't wait to read them and maybe make a video response.
It is the promise of death that gives life meaning, whether it's annihilation or spiritual rebirth is irrelevant. What matters is whether or not you value the lives of you and your human brothers/sisters.
People look to causes and organisations for answers and escapes, where they are exploited by using that original fear. Dividing people, creating fear and hatred.
Just accept your death now and live in ethics and virtue regardless of what awaits you.
Very cool! In Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travells he goes to a place where some people are born immortal. He assumes these people would be benevolent saged whome the society looks to for guidance and wisdom. He finds however they are sickly, cynical and skeptical with no motivation or love of life.
I've heard that the Buddhist view of personal continuation after death is a middle way between "eternalism" and "annihilationism". You're right that, if there's no endings, nothing matters. I also see the point that others sometimes make, that to do good for a future reward isn't really good at all, but I think the same thing applies to "trying" to do good selflessly. I also believe that thinking death is the total end can be as demotivating as thinking that it's no end.
These are just my beliefs. Some say that the key to authenticity is to completely accept our total annihilation, and they could be right as far as I know. I feel that there is a middle way, which is even compatible with some traditional theistic faiths, and that I have rationally understood to some extent. Unfortunately, I also realise that, when it comes to these questions of motive, half-way, rational understanding isn't quite enough.
The world matters in its possibilities. My death is not the end of all the world's possibilities, only the end if mine. The point of dancing is not to get to the end of the song, and life is a song/dance that goes on after my death. I want others to enjoy this lovely planet, even those others whom I will never meet.
I would only like them to feel the love and stewardship over a world that is our body.
too bad there don't seem to be deterministic, practical ways to shock the first two into third... but wouldn't that be a heavenly utopia of the agnostic if everyone was neither homo or suicidal? as trinities go one could allegorize time as first, space as second and their interaction creating possibility of the third...
Nice triumvirate of possibilities. All of them are spiritualized egoic representations of the fundamental orientations of human consciousness.
The materially egoic, the sentimentally emotional and the rationally mental.
While there are obviously different polarities (masculine/feminine) and voices (active/passive) of these representations, they are all indicative of the nature of the individual and where and when they are in their process.
The purpose? Realization and Integration of experience.
This video has influenced me to buy those three Ernest Becker books. I've been reading a good deal of existentialist philosophy lately and these books appear to be right up my alley. I can't wait to read them and maybe make a video response.
Thanks.
SonofNewo 1 year ago
What was the first form of death response you said?
Homocydial?
Is that the one Kenneth Berk suggests?
frichikendz 1 year ago
I like this. Thanks for sharing!
rhocando 1 year ago
It is the promise of death that gives life meaning, whether it's annihilation or spiritual rebirth is irrelevant. What matters is whether or not you value the lives of you and your human brothers/sisters.
People look to causes and organisations for answers and escapes, where they are exploited by using that original fear. Dividing people, creating fear and hatred.
Just accept your death now and live in ethics and virtue regardless of what awaits you.
rohanmusic 2 years ago
Very cool! In Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travells he goes to a place where some people are born immortal. He assumes these people would be benevolent saged whome the society looks to for guidance and wisdom. He finds however they are sickly, cynical and skeptical with no motivation or love of life.
rohanmusic 2 years ago
I've heard that the Buddhist view of personal continuation after death is a middle way between "eternalism" and "annihilationism". You're right that, if there's no endings, nothing matters. I also see the point that others sometimes make, that to do good for a future reward isn't really good at all, but I think the same thing applies to "trying" to do good selflessly. I also believe that thinking death is the total end can be as demotivating as thinking that it's no end.
gerontodon 2 years ago
These are just my beliefs. Some say that the key to authenticity is to completely accept our total annihilation, and they could be right as far as I know. I feel that there is a middle way, which is even compatible with some traditional theistic faiths, and that I have rationally understood to some extent. Unfortunately, I also realise that, when it comes to these questions of motive, half-way, rational understanding isn't quite enough.
gerontodon 2 years ago
The world matters in its possibilities. My death is not the end of all the world's possibilities, only the end if mine. The point of dancing is not to get to the end of the song, and life is a song/dance that goes on after my death. I want others to enjoy this lovely planet, even those others whom I will never meet.
I would only like them to feel the love and stewardship over a world that is our body.
Professoranton 2 years ago
too bad there don't seem to be deterministic, practical ways to shock the first two into third... but wouldn't that be a heavenly utopia of the agnostic if everyone was neither homo or suicidal? as trinities go one could allegorize time as first, space as second and their interaction creating possibility of the third...
jogayot 2 years ago
Nice triumvirate of possibilities. All of them are spiritualized egoic representations of the fundamental orientations of human consciousness.
The materially egoic, the sentimentally emotional and the rationally mental.
While there are obviously different polarities (masculine/feminine) and voices (active/passive) of these representations, they are all indicative of the nature of the individual and where and when they are in their process.
The purpose? Realization and Integration of experience.
Sueezedtight 2 years ago
Life has no meaning, what you are experiencing is not life....
early2it 2 years ago