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If you don’t have any respect for the past, don’t expect the future to have any respect for you.

m00x 5y ago
The only people for whom it really matters is their descendants or people who cared about them. The dead is gone, there is no difference for them if their image, or their bodies are disrespected.
- ceilingcorner 5y ago
  Well, luckily the people who died fighting in World War 2 cared about their society’s descendants, otherwise why bother fighting and dying? If your future society doesn’t care about you, why risk anything for them?
  - watwut 5y ago
    A lot of them were nazi. Many nazi fought that war. They have seen themselves as fighting for future. Majority of people dying were civilians.
  - NineStarPoint 5y ago
    To care for the state of future generations is worthwhile, because it is to give hope and happiness to them while they are living. I want all of humanity to live in as ideal a world as possible, and it’s worth fighting in the present so that future humanity has a better world. And society should care for those who have sacrificed for it, while they are alive. Once I am dead though, there is no me here to respect any more. Death is complete separation from this world. The vast majority of people who have ever died are completely lost to memory, whether they wanted that fate or not. And for those we do still remember, they’re long past having the ability to care at all what happens to what they left behind. Whether through nothingness or an afterlife, they are no longer here.
  - WalterBright 5y ago
    Fighting for the future is very different than fighting for the past. We've evolved to care about our descendants, not our ancestors.
  - rimiform 5y ago
    Don't think they had much choice in the matter, seeing as there was a punishment for defection.
ALittleLight 5y ago
Correct. I would understand if archaeologists two thousand years from dug me up and used me in a display about burial rituals. I don't think there's any expectation of privacy from that kind of thing.
- ceilingcorner 5y ago
  That’s mostly because you live in a society which doesn’t value burials or the afterlife and which worships information, which must be acquired at any cost. No ancient Egyptian Pharaoh would be happy with being dug up and placed in a glass box in a museum. They didn’t build the pyramids because they were bored or wanted people to visit them as tourist attractions. To the very real human beings of ancient Egypt, becoming an anthropological exhibit would be deeply troubling, a massively negative outcome.
  - ALittleLight 5y ago
    But I also wouldn't mind if future archaeologists entombed me in a pyramid, used my body as a comedic prop, burnt me for fuel, etc. At some point after death we should acknowledge we no longer have moral claims on the world.
    - grenoire 5y ago
      You're reinforcing OP's point: You don't care about afterlife. Don't have to, but recognise that many do, and have been for a very long time.
      - ALittleLight 5y ago
        The Pharoh might be incensed we let his slaves go free, educated women, didn't worship Ra, etc. We don't respect any of ancient Egypt's beliefs except we should respect their reverence for the dead? Doesn't make sense to me.
        ceilingcorner 5y ago
Broken_Hippo 5y ago
I don't, and I don't. Why do I need respect if I'm dead? I mean, people are going to go through my stuff. They'll find sex toys, for example. Maybe my family will be able to be comfortable if they are able to profit from my stuff, or someone in the future find my stuff and get some satisfaction. Again, though, I'll be dead.

m00x 5y ago

The only people for whom it really matters is their descendants or people who cared about them. The dead is gone, there is no difference for them if their image, or their bodies are disrespected.

ceilingcorner 5y ago
Well, luckily the people who died fighting in World War 2 cared about their society’s descendants, otherwise why bother fighting and dying? If your future society doesn’t care about you, why risk anything for them?
- watwut 5y ago
  A lot of them were nazi. Many nazi fought that war. They have seen themselves as fighting for future. Majority of people dying were civilians.
- NineStarPoint 5y ago
  To care for the state of future generations is worthwhile, because it is to give hope and happiness to them while they are living. I want all of humanity to live in as ideal a world as possible, and it’s worth fighting in the present so that future humanity has a better world. And society should care for those who have sacrificed for it, while they are alive. Once I am dead though, there is no me here to respect any more. Death is complete separation from this world. The vast majority of people who have ever died are completely lost to memory, whether they wanted that fate or not. And for those we do still remember, they’re long past having the ability to care at all what happens to what they left behind. Whether through nothingness or an afterlife, they are no longer here.
- WalterBright 5y ago
  Fighting for the future is very different than fighting for the past. We've evolved to care about our descendants, not our ancestors.
- rimiform 5y ago
  Don't think they had much choice in the matter, seeing as there was a punishment for defection.

ALittleLight 5y ago

Correct. I would understand if archaeologists two thousand years from dug me up and used me in a display about burial rituals. I don't think there's any expectation of privacy from that kind of thing.

ceilingcorner 5y ago
That’s mostly because you live in a society which doesn’t value burials or the afterlife and which worships information, which must be acquired at any cost. No ancient Egyptian Pharaoh would be happy with being dug up and placed in a glass box in a museum. They didn’t build the pyramids because they were bored or wanted people to visit them as tourist attractions. To the very real human beings of ancient Egypt, becoming an anthropological exhibit would be deeply troubling, a massively negative outcome.
- ALittleLight 5y ago
  But I also wouldn't mind if future archaeologists entombed me in a pyramid, used my body as a comedic prop, burnt me for fuel, etc. At some point after death we should acknowledge we no longer have moral claims on the world.
  - grenoire 5y ago
    You're reinforcing OP's point: You don't care about afterlife. Don't have to, but recognise that many do, and have been for a very long time.
    - ALittleLight 5y ago
      The Pharoh might be incensed we let his slaves go free, educated women, didn't worship Ra, etc. We don't respect any of ancient Egypt's beliefs except we should respect their reverence for the dead? Doesn't make sense to me.
      - ceilingcorner 5y ago

Broken_Hippo 5y ago

I don't, and I don't. Why do I need respect if I'm dead? I mean, people are going to go through my stuff. They'll find sex toys, for example. Maybe my family will be able to be comfortable if they are able to profit from my stuff, or someone in the future find my stuff and get some satisfaction. Again, though, I'll be dead.