Article ID: CBB001451437

Epicurus on the Fear of Death and the Relative Value of Lives (2014)

unapi

Epicurus argued that death is no misfortune, because when a person dies, he no longer has sensation, and sensation is a necessary condition of value for a person. This argument, however, faces a powerful objection. Contemporary philosophers argue that death is bad precisely because it deprives one of good experiences one would have had, had one not died. I analyze and evaluate the Epicurean response to this objection, showing how, according to Epicurus, this objection reflects mistaken and unhealthy ideas about how lives should be evaluated. Uncovering and addressing these modes of evaluation constitutes a central aim of Epicurean therapy.

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Authors & Contributors
Morel, Pierre-Marie
Alessandro Iannucci
Hammerstaedt, Jürgen
Güremen, Refik
Zago, Silvia
Baima, Nicholas
Concepts
Philosophy
Death
Epicurianism
Soul (philosophy)
Physics
Science and culture
Time Periods
Ancient
Medieval
14th century
13th century
12th century
Places
Greece
Rome (Italy)
Egypt
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