Human Persons as Oriented Toward Their Impending Death PDF

# Human Persons as Oriented Toward Their Impending Death Prepared by: MR. ANTONIO T. DELGADO Faculty, Social Science Department General De Jesus College ## The Bucket List - It refers to a list of things that one has not done before but wants to do before dying. (www.merriam-webster.com) - Thing...

# Human Persons as Oriented Toward Their Impending Death Prepared by: MR. ANTONIO T. DELGADO Faculty, Social Science Department General De Jesus College ## The Bucket List - It refers to a list of things that one has not done before but wants to do before dying. (www.merriam-webster.com) - Things that one would like to do in life. - Examples: - Spending time with loved ones - Traveling - Eating exotic foods - Adventures - Saying "Sorry", "Thank You", "I Love You" ## What Happens to the Human Person After Death? ### Death: Medical/Legal Definition - **Traditional Definition**: Death was simply equated to the stopping of heartbeat and breathing. - **Legal Definition** (Section 2, paragraph (j) of the Organ Donation Act of 1991 (Republic Act 7170): - "(j) ''Death'' - the irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions or the irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem. A person shall be medically and legally dead if either: - (1) In the opinion of attending physician, based on acceptable standards of medical practice, there is an absence of natural respiratory and cardiac functions and, attempts at resuscitation would not be successful in restoring those functions. In this case, death shall be deemed to have occurred at the time these functions ceased; or - (2) In the opinion of the consulting physician, concurred in by the attending physician, that on the basis of acceptable standards of medical practice, there is an irreversible cessation of all brain functions; and considering the absence of such functions, further attempts at resuscitation or continued supportive maintenance would not be successful in restoring such natural functions. In this case, death shall be deemed to have occurred at the time when these conditions first appeared." ## Philosophers' Views on Death ### Socrates on Death "No man knows whether death may not even turn out to be the greatest blessing for a human being; and yet people fear it as if they knew for certain that it is the greatest of evil." Death is either: - **Possibility #1**: Dreamless sleep - **Possibility #2**: Passage to another life Therefore, death is nothing to fear. "After all, to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure." - Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ### Epicurus on Death "Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo." Which translates to, "I was not. I was. I am not. I do not care." "Death... is nothing to us." Or maybe what we actually fear is being deprived of possibilities. ### Thomas Nagel on Death "If death is an evil at all, it cannot be because of its positive features, but only because of what it deprives us of." - **#FOMO** (Fear of Missing Out) - "...none of us existed before we were born (or conceived), but few regard that as a misfortune." - **In conclusion**: Nagel thinks that the only real evil of death is dying prematurely. ## Death and Meaning - Would we feel regret if there is no death? - It can be argued that it is death that gives meaning to life. - **You Only Live Once, But If You Do It Right, Once is Enough** - **So, live life to the fullest, while you still can.** ## Evaluation 1. What is the medical/legal definition of death? 2. How do the philosophers Socrates, Epicurus and Thomas Nagel view death? 3. Whose view are you inclined to believe? 4. How does the inevitability of death contribute meaning to the experience of life? ## Thanks for Listening! ## References 1. Sioco, M.P. and Vinzons, I. (2016). Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person. Quezon City: Vibal Group, Inc. pp. 207 - 215 2. CrashCourse. (2016, June 13). Perspectives on Death: Crash Course Philosophy #17. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjQwedC1WzI&t=9s