From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!cbosgd!cbosg!dir Newsgroups: net.philosophy Title: Re: Immortality and fear. Article-I.D.: cbosg.2798 Posted: Sat Feb 19 19:22:20 1983 Received: Sun Feb 20 11:33:35 1983 References: sdccsu3.311 rabbit.1147 Perhaps one reason why people fear death (myself included) is that death *seems* to be the crowning glory of a purposeless existence. If we live long enough, there's a hope of finding out what all this was for, and then, knowing the purpose, we would not be afraid of going quietly into that good night. The search for meaning and purpose to life is deeply intertwined with fear of death, for if we some day learned the meaning, and it turned out to be trivial, or an accident of random chance, then I think the moral and social consequences would be devastating. On the other hand, if we knew for sure that life was purposeless, it might give us all the more reason for living life to the fullest, and making our own purpose along the way. No wonder philosophers get that crazed look. Sheesh. - D. Radin