PHILOSOPHERS' CORNER

Collective Immortality: Living on Through Others

I don't think that the prospect of death saps life of meaning. People dread death, to be sure, especially a premature death. But that does not mean that they want to live forever. But dreading death is consistent with living with purpose and determination, even in the face of death.

Is There Life (or Anything) After Death?

What's Next? After death, that is. Here's one answer: nothingness. How can I be so sure there’s no afterlife? After all, people have believed in the afterlife, since … well, since there were people. Who'm I to say they’re wrong?

Immortality: Hume and Boswell

This week’s show is on immortality. I thought Philosophy Talk listeners might enjoy Hume’s last thoughts on the subject, as recorded by James Boswell, who visited Hume hoping for a deathbed conversion.