1. Death and its discontents

2. When is someone dead? Option 1: Cardio-Respiratory
Option 2: Whole Brain
Option 3: Higher Brain
Irreversible

3. Is There life after death?
Near Death Experiences (NDEs)
Grief apparitions
Dying visions
Ghosts
Mediums
Accounts of past lives

4. Socrates’ Argument that we should not fear death
P1: Either death is nothingness or death is going to paradise P2: If it’s nothingness, that’s not bad P3: If it’s Paradise, that’s not bad C: So, Death can’t be bad

5. Suppose that there is no life after death
Suppose that there is no life after death. In that case, should we fear death? Is it a bad thing?

6. The Classic argument that we should not fear death and it cannot hurt us

7. Nagel's argument that death is a bad thing
Death means the end of a possible future for me; a future that I might enjoy very much. That just plain sucks.

8. Who Wants to Live Forever?
We all live forever
Only I live forever, but I keep aging.
Only I liver forever, but I stop aging physically at 25

10. Terror Management Theory
The Unconscious – Most of our thoughts and emotions are not conscious, but they control what we do
When we are unware of the unconscious it has a powerful hold over us
If we are aware of our unconscious, it has less control over us
We are all – EVERY SINGLE HUMAN – terrified of our own death, unconsciously
So, if we are unaware of our unconscious fear of death, then that fear has powerful control over how we act

11. Meaning and Death Anxiety
Human beings are all powerfully affected by unconscious death anxiety (anxiety = fear or anticipation of a future danger)
So Humans create meaningful world-views in order to calm their death anxiety
Human beings MUST maintain faith in a meaningful world view
Humans must see themselves as objects of value within that world-view
What if I am challenged by someone who is threat to my world-view?

12. When World-Views Collide?
What if I am challenged by someone who is threat to my world-view?
I might ….
Dismiss them
Convert them
Assimilate some of their ways/views
Destroy them

13. Memento Mori

14. The Capuchin Crypt