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/lit/ - Literature

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3142412 No.3142412[DELETED]  [Reply] [Original]

Could /lit/ recommend some philosophers who speak of the nature of death as well as the meaning of life?

>> No.3142413

The nature of death is that, when you die, you are gone. There, I saved you lots of time

>> No.3142425

i can help you out, op

>nature of death
you die and you're dead, luckily all you will ever know is being alive so don't be too scared.
>meaning of life
there is none, humans are an "accident" of evolution and don't exist with any more purpose than any other animal. you can give your life it's own meaning if you feel like it

>> No.3142430

>>3142413
I'm of that belief but am interested in seeing what others think of it as well. Also I find the way a person's view of death influences their opinion of the meaning of life to be interesting.

>> No.3142432

>>3142413
>implying there was someone who could be gone
>>3142425
>implying there is someone who is alive
"implying".jpg

>> No.3142436

Bardo Thodol

>> No.3142440

>>3142432
There is indeed someone who could be gone, just like how a chair is gone when you burn it.

>> No.3142457

>>3142440
Gone where?

>> No.3142460

>>3142457
Into no longer existing.

>> No.3142465

>>3142460
Define existence

>> No.3142470

>>3142412
>who speak of the nature of death.
So you want theories on life after death?

If you want the nature of death you should read about what it means to be 'alive', self-aware and consciousness.

>> No.3142471

>>3142465
Having the capacity to be referred to symbolically in the present tense

>> No.3142472
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3142472

>>3142432

>> No.3142474

>>3142440
Chair is a word that you use to call a banch of something a chair. A chair has never existed. A banch of something is not gone when it changes, it just can't be called a chair anymore

>> No.3142482

>>3142436
The Buddhist view on the subject is pretty interesting, thanks.

>> No.3142484

>>3142436
Nice. Tibetan book of tha dead. Esp. if you are keen to find a way to overcome death...

OP, if you are looking for the king of philosophers talking about death, probably Heidegger is the fellow. Being and Time is a pretty dense read, though, and I think that the Tibetan book is where you'll end up even after Heidegger. His point is essentially (IMHO), regarding death, that you are absolutely right to be horrified shitless over the possibility of death... but that you can use that as a kind of self-motivator. I think he's probably Nazi delusional about the latter bit... so, seriously, the Buddha, the Zen, the Tibetans.

If you are really dead set (ho, no pun in there) upon sticking to the western tradition, read through all of Plato's dialogs, starting with the Theataetus. (Jowett's translation for free over at Gutenberg). Much longer path, but hey, it's your life, right?

>> No.3142487

>>3142474
>A chair has never existed.

"A perfect chair exists in heaven, everything on earth is a crude imitation of the thing we call chair"
Get the fuck out of here, Aristotle, nobody has accepted that for hundreds of years.

>> No.3142489
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3142489

>>3142474

This is a classic example of overthinking things to the point where everything becomes absurd.

Here is a picture of a chair. That is a chair. You can say whatever you want about it, call it whatever you want, but it's still a chair. The chair does exist. The name does have a meaning and a specific purpose.

Words have meanings to them. Objects are real. Your postmodernist bullshit is retarded.

>> No.3142495

>>3142489
yo man but like the chairs just like atoms bro it doesn't real man mannnn

>> No.3142494

>>3142489
That's not postmodernist bullshit, just semantic bickering over the meaning of the word "existence"

>> No.3142497

>>3142487
Maybe you are referring to Plato. I don't think that heavens exist either. Also I am aware that it sounds quite absurd, but then again, what does not

>> No.3142500
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3142500

>>3142489

>> No.3142510
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3142510

>>3142500

>> No.3142523

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/gibran/prophet/prophet.htm#Death

>> No.3142532

Read Ernest Beckers Denial of Death. 10/10 favorite book, changed my life.

>> No.3142542

>>3142510
That's a nifty lawn chair you got there.

>> No.3142547
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3142547

>>3142471
>confusing language with being

>> No.3142577

>nature of death
a single living organism dying
>meaning of life
life itself

>> No.3142585

>>3142577

How can living be the meaning to life? Merely living (for an actual sentient creature) varies wildly. It's not like we're an animal that is only sated by food, water, and shelter. Questions inevitably come up about how to live in the best way possible, what's right or wrong, etc.

It's easy and "deep" sounding to say that life is the meaning to life, but when people ask that they're seeking answers to far deeper questions and often want an answer of substance. They seek actual fulfillment, which your sophistry cannot provide.

>> No.3142595

>>3142577
nice tautology asshole

>> No.3142605

2nd wave black metal artist, no I'm not joking.

>> No.3142731

>>3142470
Either theories about the afterlife or thoughts expounding on the nature of death itself are good.

>>3142484
Thank you, I'll look into those as well.

>> No.3142739

>>3142577

Getting pretty fucking tired of the /sci/ autists

>> No.3143417

Quick question: does Plato say anything on the meaning of life?
Did not want to make a new thread and thought i'd just latch off this one.

>> No.3143578

>>3142489
>Doesn't understand elementary philosophy.

>> No.3143589

http://oyc.yale.edu/philosophy/phil-176

>> No.3143689 [DELETED] 

Read some Heidegger.

I'd recommend his early lecture, "The Concept of Time"