Death - A postcard from the River Lethe

Death - the last taboo - is waiting on us all (though some have already had the summons).

Our response to it energises much that risks destroying our world (No I'm not exaggerating). Is there a more positive way we can relate to death and harvest its gifts.

The video on Becker refered to is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IKLY56wp8A

And more on Darwin needing updating in popular mind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9hn8wQJ7Q0

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Death
• Dylan
• Thomas
• Yeats
• Virgil
• Becker
• Cancer
• Darwin
• Jung
• Underworld
• Lethe
• terminal

[f1ghtclub2k3]

how can a person, organism, an individual ever realize its true potential without conditions that make it struggle...hasnt evolution been exactly that?...it seems aimless given the random "bad" conditions that present life with pain, suffering, death etc.. but there is a common generality underneath...self preservation and power...this is tricky when moving from biological to economic exploitation b/c in our case it almost seems denaturalized as in the weakest and mediocre rule???

[soulfetcher]

@f1ghtclub2k3 to use your own critique dont think dualistically ☺ - its not either/or, but both/and. The dualistic extremes are behind the 20th century nightmare.

Cooperate for what? survival of course! Animal bands (including humans organise socially in order to maximise the chance of survival of the tribes genes

Individualism is still good - but its not everything in nature.

[soulfetcher]

google this excellent artical

"Cachet of the Cutthroat"

by J. Wes Ulm.

[f1ghtclub2k3]

Is not nature precisely that exploitation we so abhor in the human race...I can see the difference in biological exploitation and economic I dont encourage the latter but collective cooperative towards what?...is their a goal for mankind yet? I dont understand your dogma of human nature comment...isnt that a contradiction of concepts...and can we really say there is such a concrete nature of the human being? social darwinism is the product of putting to much emphasis on Darwins account...Lamark

[soulfetcher]

@f1ghtclub2k3 The early explanations of evolutions mechanism were influenced by Hobbes phrase nature red in tooth & claw. Spencer coined the phrase survival of the fittest before Darwin. Nature has been portrayed as overly individualistc & brutal allowing a model of human nature where selfish exploitation was central - not helped by the term selfish gene. Current thinking recognises the centrality of cooperation within species as a driver for group survival not al dog-eat-dog. cont

[soulfetcher]

Many recognise that natural humans are more often motivated by mutual support than cut-throatism despite the way it has been sanctifed throughout the 20th century.

Hopefully this pole of the dualism will be moderated in future social sciences &biology, eg market economists wont be able to rely on Darwin to justify their flawed model of man (dogma) underlying their economics. Thinking christianitys difficulty with evolution is fueled by its traditional rubbishing of altruism in human nature

[djindox3]

a litte hard to follow but thanks for the vid! seems to me like u know a lot of that which im trying to learn.

[f1ghtclub2k3]

was actually a bit closer in realizing the relatively short amount of time change can occur within generations and especially characteristic traits...neuroscience keeps discarding our old ideas of what is totally derived by fanatic readings of Darwin...and I think the neodarwinian notions of harming others to pursue self interest lies in the human need to feel unique and different and to join the world in what is easy to do...are you proposing a stagnant equality where struggle does not exist...

[f1ghtclub2k3]

m/b I miss understood...I am a young intellectual sometimes I jump the gun so to speak....let me watch it again...annnd yes I took a part out of the whole and attacked it...my mistake my fault...this is something I must watch in myself...m/b my vice in wanting to be heard or significant?...Thank you for the video it was actually insightful...I can relate to the last part especially about the gifts of life embedded in an awareness of death...good day.

[danielacheson]

Absolute Legend.....

Thankyou....