What is "Death"?

[Zero Phoenix]

What is "Death" , according to your philosophical view?

Death is the end of a chapter of life. Not the end of life, just the end of a part of it.

Do you think the biological definition of "Death" suffice? Why?

No. I am a Christian and we believe in eternal life with the Father. If people believe they die, rot in the ground and that's it then what you have there is blasphemy.

Do you think religious answers to the question suffice? Why?

Yes. People need to know that their existence does not end just because their body decays.

Do you fear "Death"? Why?

No. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil for the Lord is with me."

For a self-proclaimed Catholic, you didn't sound like one at all, lol.
How do you make peace between your view of "Death" and the Catholic's dogma?

That was my reaction too. One cannot serve two masters for he will hate one and love the other. A person can't claim they are Catholic when they're not subscribing to the dogma.

 

[Canabary]

That was my reaction too. One cannot serve two masters for he will hate one and love the other. A person can't claim they are Catholic when they're not subscribing to the dogma.

Given that dogma is up for interpretation I would disagree with that as a categorical fact. However, the belief of eternal life through the salvation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is central to all christian teachings, so in this particular case I would be forced to agree. It's not only part of the catholic dogma, it's one of the central pillars, if not the most important pillar of Christianity.

No. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil for the Lord is with me."

Honestly not fearing death is against everyhting we're hard wired for. When faced with life and death situations you will rarely take actions that increase your chance of being killed, because it is against our self preservation instinct. This holds true as long as you're not protecting loved ones, in which case self preservation extends to something we feel a stronger connection to than ourselves.

In my experience those who claim to not fear death have never encountered death. Not saying this is true for you, just what I've found to be true for others.

 

[Sanae]

Death can have more then one meaning

Some think of it as an end (most common). While some, think of it as a new beginning (in some cases, ofc) ^^

 

[Denuo Prince]

Death can have more then one meaning

Some think of it as an end (most common). While some, think of it as a new beginning (in some cases, ofc) ^^

The end of the known and the beginning of the unknown.

 

[Arachna]

Death is.. : A partner of "birth" on a seesaw, called life.


Who knows what will happen when we die.

Beginning? End? Idk..

I just know people find death as a horrible concept.Again i don't know why.

What i would say for it is there is first and second part. By all general discussion.

First one is a fact : Degradation of the structure.
(And do not confuse it, with reincarnation.)

The body dies, and is no more.
It does not exceed, nor transforms.
The structure of the body, especially the functionality ( systems) dies.
The end.

And for the second part. I really have no idea. And i don't wanna find out so soon.
We will find out once we get to that bridge in life ,anyway.

 

[shard2323]

Once, a while back, I said that death is the cessation of self-regulation of essential autonomic functions AND consciousness/higher mental functions. Given this is more of a cognitive scientists view however, it does not really apply to simple creatures such as prokaryotic microorganism. Or even a dog per se, as the level of consciousness actually present is seemingly so small it is insignificant (Note, I am not using the word "consciousness" in the medical sense or mere perceptual awareness) and past any psychometric means of measurement. In such cases, the organisms cessation of self-regulation of essential autonomic functions is enough to label the organism as "dead". And there you have it, the best definition of death I can give >.< .

As for the subject of an afterlife, while a great deal of speculations have been made in various forms, none of them can carry any particular validity. Take for example, the religious assertion that one's "soul" lives on after death. How can that be proven? The best such beliefs have are written texts and the words of a leader, none of which can be taken with any serious validity as they both could be lies, unfounded opinions, or forgery. Likewise, being unquantifiable and unverifiable, it has no holding in science. Ergo my assertion that no speculation hitherto has been valid. Nor do I see it being so in the near future.

 

[Arachna]

You mean.. "the shiney light at the end of the tunnel" isn't proof? XD
And here i thought ,there is something to look forward to,when i die.

Scientifically speaking, interviewing people that have permanently died is "challenging". lol

And for the "afterlife" part.

Anyone can explain to me what is Oprah effect? <.<

 

[Zero Phoenix]

Given that dogma is up for interpretation I would disagree with that as a categorical fact.

Oho, I don't think so.

Honestly not fearing death is against everyhting we're hard wired for. When faced with life and death situations you will rarely take actions that increase your chance of being killed, because it is against our self preservation instinct. This holds true as long as you're not protecting loved ones, in which case self preservation extends to something we feel a stronger connection to than ourselves.

Case in point. If you really were Catholic you wouldn't fear death and you certainly wouldn't fall back on the whole, "not fearing death is against everything we're wired for." Not killing each other is against our hardwiring as well, would you surmise that it is OK for human beings to kill other humans? I mean it is programmed into us. People need to mate because it's in our genes so why waste time with love or marriage when we can have a good old fashioned rape fest. I mean it's in our genes right? All this time I thought that one of the doctrines of Catholicism was rising above the shackles of the flesh, but I guess you would know the tenents of Catholicism better than me right.

 

[Hadriel]

I personally perceive death to be a transition in human existence. Although there has been no solid proof of the continuity of a human's existence after his physical body dies, I believe that death marks the point when a human transcends mere existence. Whether this is interpreted as going to a "heaven" or "hell", a pugatory or reincarnation, it is up to you, but one thing I am almost certain of is that death does not mean the end of our existence. Sure, in human perception it may be so, but death is one of those boundaries to the human perception of reality. Beyond death, no one truly knows what will happen, or whether the things that happen will even follow the laws of our reality. Being a Christian, I do believe that humans go to either heaven or hell after death.

@Phoenix: Saying that Christians/Catholics are unafraid of death because they know that they will go to heaven is an over-idealistic perception of human courage. Sure, there have been cases of people completely unafraid of death, but for the rest of us, death still stands as a very frightening concept. Even religious people such as Peter were also hesitant to trust fully in the Lord.

 

[noex1337]

Honestly not fearing death is against everyhting we're hard wired for. When faced with life and death situations you will rarely take actions that increase your chance of being killed, because it is against our self preservation instinct. This holds true as long as you're not protecting loved ones, in which case self preservation extends to something we feel a stronger connection to than ourselves.

I disagree, I'm not afraid of death. While you can call me a bit reckless, which may be true, I generally try not to end up dead. But i'm not afraid of it, or many things for some reason (although i still have a bit of claustrophobia, arachnophobia, and i don't like needles).

In my experience those who claim to not fear death have never encountered death. Not saying this is true for you, just what I've found to be true for others.

Well, you may be on to something, because that's true in my case.

 

[-lexus-]

I disagree, I'm not afraid of death. While you can call me a bit reckless, which may be true, I generally try not to end up dead. But i'm not afraid of it, or many things for some reason (although i still have a bit of claustrophobia, arachnophobia, and i don't like needles).

I agree with this. I dont really fear death that much either. But because I dont fear it doesnt mean I suddenly try to seek it out or make decisions that would shorten my lifespan significantly. I still prefer living as long as I can.

 

[Zero Phoenix]

I disagree, I'm not afraid of death. While you can call me a bit reckless, which may be true, I generally try not to end up dead. But i'm not afraid of it, or many things for some reason (although i still have a bit of claustrophobia, arachnophobia, and i don't like needles).

Me, I'm a practical guy. It's simple, why fear something you have no control over? We can't control when or how we die so what's the point in worrying about it? I understand Hadriel has a different POV but I'm practical. Why fear what you cannot control?

 

[Hadriel]

Me, I'm a practical guy. It's simple, why fear something you have no control over? We can't control when or how we die so what's the point in worrying about it? I understand Hadriel has a different POV but I'm practical. Why fear what you cannot control?

On the other hand, why not fear what you have no control over? Furthermore, I suspect that a fear of death stems from a fear of the unknown, rather than a fear of the uncontrollable. Despite how much faith can boost your courage, humanity is still painfully aware of the fact that no one knows for certain what will happen after death. Yes, religion does help to offer an answer, but there are multiple religions. People of one religion will eventually ponder, "What if the other religion is the 'right' one, and mine is the 'wrong' one?" The only thing people can be sure of is that death is not the final stop in our existence, but what happens beyond that is completely unknown.

 

[noex1337]

On the other hand, why not fear what you have no control over? Furthermore, I suspect that a fear of death stems from a fear of the unknown, rather than a fear of the uncontrollable. Despite how much faith can boost your courage, humanity is still painfully aware of the fact that no one knows for certain what will happen after death. Yes, religion does help to offer an answer, but there are multiple religions. People of one religion will eventually ponder, "What if the other religion is the 'right' one, and mine is the 'wrong' one?" The only thing people can be sure of is that death is not the final stop in our existence, but what happens up to that is completely unknown.

Absolutely no idea. I know this is true, but it doesn't bother me much.

 

[-lexus-]

On the other hand, why not fear what you have no control over? Furthermore, I suspect that a fear of death stems from a fear of the unknown, rather than a fear of the uncontrollable. Despite how much faith can boost your courage, humanity is still painfully aware of the fact that no one knows for certain what will happen after death. Yes, religion does help to offer an answer, but there are multiple religions. People of one religion will eventually ponder, "What if the other religion is the 'right' one, and mine is the 'wrong' one?" The only thing people can be sure of is that death is not the final stop in our existence, but what happens beyond that is completely unknown.

Ive thought about it and I came up with three possibilities that could happen. One possibility is that there is a god and you go to heaven/hell. Since there is no way to be certain which God is the right God it seems best for me not to worry about that, and just live a good life. If hes a nice God, Ill go to heaven, if its an asshole Ill go to hell. Either way, its nothing I can really worry about.
Second possibility is that there is some kind of afterlife/reincarnation kind of thing. In which case I will be reborn with my memory wiped clean in which case its all good for me anyways.
Last possibility is that there is nothing, in which case I cant care anymore about what happens.

 

[Hadriel]

Ive thought about it and I came up with three possibilities that could happen. One possibility is that there is a god and you go to heaven/hell. Since there is no way to be certain which God is the right God it seems best for me not to worry about that, and just live a good life. If hes a nice God, Ill go to heaven, if its an asshole Ill go to hell. Either way, its nothing I can really worry about.
Second possibility is that there is some kind of afterlife/reincarnation kind of thing. In which case I will be reborn with my memory wiped clean in which case its all good for me anyways.
Last possibility is that there is nothing, in which case I cant care anymore about what happens.

Oh, I can see why some people would be worried about going to Hell or having nothing at all after death. Hell is described as a terrible place, so it's no wonder why people are afraid of dying and going there. As for having nothing after death, well, imagine you sleeping at night. Take the time between when you lose consciousness and when you wake up, and multiply that by infinity. You've got an endless repetition of nothing and nothing and nothing. Sounds pretty frightening, if you ask me.

Also, I think people's fear stems not from them going to a "bad" place after death, but of them not going to the place that they thought (or their religion espouses that) they would go. For example, if you're a Christian, you believe that you'll go to Heaven. But you know that other religions believe in reincarnation, or a pugatory. No matter how strong you are in the faith, you will always wonder, "What if I reincarnate/go to a pugatory?" It's cause for anxiety.

 

[Arachna]

I don't think you can compare death with sleeping. <.<
Sleep, as it turns out, is far more complicated.
And the brain not only doesn’t turn off, but appears to help keep itself healthy. It is that REM thingy.
And plus in sleep there is always a possibility fo dreaming.

But yea. I do agree with you on the fact people might be scared of emptiness/nothingness death presents.

Firstly, by fearing death, a person actually fears the unknown. No one knows for sure what will happen to them once they die. Thus, this fear of the unknown, that always accompanies man, makes him fear death and dark alike.

Secondly, the thought that we will have to answer our deeds in the hereafter,is scary.
This is because there are not many persons who are satisfied that they haven't harmed a man by either hand or tongue and have done good deeds throughout their lives.

We all speak white lies shamelessly, and do many awful things, some unintentional, while the others we overlook by thinking them worthless.
These thoughts come to us as soon as we think of death.

Thirdly, we are too much in love with the world and its superficial beauties.
We can't even think of leaving it and its charms. The thought of leaving the world forever itself is dreadful.

 

[Kaze Araki]

Death is the permanent cessation of self awareness.
The does not think, does not exist.

 

[Hadriel]

I don't think you can compare death with sleeping. <.<
Sleep, as it turns out, is far more complicated.
And the brain not only doesn’t turn off, but appears to help keep itself healthy. It is that REM thingy.
And plus in sleep there is always a possibility fo dreaming.

I was just using sleep as an example. A better way to compare it would be with a loss of consciousness. In that moment, many hours pass by in a split second, and you can't even sense anything. Imaging that moment lasting forever and ever. It's frightening.

But yea. I do agree with you on the fact people might be scared of emptiness/nothingness death presents.

Firstly, by fearing death, a person actually fears the unknown. No one knows for sure what will happen to them once they die. Thus, this fear of the unknown, that always accompanies man, makes him fear death and dark alike.

Secondly, the thought that we will have to answer our deeds in the hereafter,is scary.
This is because there are not many persons who are satisfied that they haven't harmed a man by either hand or tongue and have done good deeds throughout their lives.

We all speak white lies shamelessly, and do many awful things, some unintentional, while the others we overlook by thinking them worthless.
These thoughts come to us as soon as we think of death.

Thirdly, we are too much in love with the world and its superficial beauties.
We can't even think of leaving it and its charms. The thought of leaving the world forever itself is dreadful.

Exactly. :coolgrin:

Death is the permanent cessation of self awareness.
The does not think, does not exist.

Well, that is true if you discount religion. Most, if not all religions believe in the persistence of self-awareness after death, be it in a physical form (reincarnation) or spiritual form (transcension of existence). While the logical result of death would be a cessation of self-awareness, religion usually defies that logic.

 

[Biomega]

Death is the permanent cessation of self awareness.
The does not think, does not exist.

In the essence, brain death, right?

Well, that is true if you discount religion. Most, if not all religions believe in the persistence of self-awareness after death, be it in a physical form (reincarnation) or spiritual form (transcension of existence). While the logical result of death would be a cessation of self-awareness, religion usually defies that logic.

Because religion has something called "Soul" that remains persistent even after death. That is where consciousness goes -- as a form of a soul, or some other ethereal medium.