3 ms·

> treating death as a problem to solve I think that's a poor framing. Yes, cure diseases, absolutely, but mortality is intrinsic to humanity. Suffering is a

by JackFr 5y ago

> treating death as a problem to solve I think that's a poor framing. Yes, cure diseases, absolutely, but mortality is intrinsic to humanity. Suffering is a problem to solve. How we should live, knowing that we will most assuredly die is a problem to solve. Treating death as a problem to solve I think is a conceit and ultimately a fools errand.

hallway_monitor 5y ago
Are you sure you don't just feel that way because you consider death an inevitability? I agree completely that fixing death from old age would fundamentally change people's worldviews and would indeed change what it means to be human. But that doesn't mean it's not a cause worth devoting effort to.
- JackFr 5y ago
  > But that doesn't mean it's not a cause worth devoting effort to. Why? Ultimately you need to address what is the meaning of life, and what is your purpose. I think if you offered immortality to me tomorrow I wouldn't take it.
  - xvector 5y ago
    > I think if you offered immortality to me tomorrow I wouldn't take it. I think if we offered it to you on your deathbed, as you are seconds away from it, you would.
    - DoreenMichele 5y ago
      Only if it cured what ailed me. I would personally be skeptical of such an offer. I would think "Yeah. Sure. And live like this forever without relief or escape. No thanks, buddy." Not everyone frames such problems the same.
      - xvector 5y ago
        To be clear, I'm not discussing a "monkey's paw" sort of scenario, but a legitimate good-faith offer of immortality. A cure for your ailment is almost certainly implied by an offer of immortality. If we are capable of such a feat we will almost certainly have solved the problem of making humans youthful and healthy indefinitely. And realistically speaking, death would still be optional, just not forced upon you and your hopes and dreams by random ailments.
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
avz 5y ago
If suffering is a problem to solve, then so is death. This is evident to all who grieved.
strken 5y ago
Thinking mortality is intrinsic to being human is pretty close to saying that it's right and proper people should die, and I really don't accept that framing either. There's value in acknowledging we probably can't solve death, and coming to terms with that, but if you had a button sitting in front of you that would completely eradicate cardiovascular disease, you'd press it, right? There's no form of death that I'd even think about keeping, with the exception of suicide and maybe execution.

by JackFr 5y ago

hallway_monitor 5y ago

Are you sure you don't just feel that way because you consider death an inevitability? I agree completely that fixing death from old age would fundamentally change people's worldviews and would indeed change what it means to be human. But that doesn't mean it's not a cause worth devoting effort to.

JackFr 5y ago
> But that doesn't mean it's not a cause worth devoting effort to. Why? Ultimately you need to address what is the meaning of life, and what is your purpose. I think if you offered immortality to me tomorrow I wouldn't take it.
- xvector 5y ago
  > I think if you offered immortality to me tomorrow I wouldn't take it. I think if we offered it to you on your deathbed, as you are seconds away from it, you would.
  - DoreenMichele 5y ago
    Only if it cured what ailed me. I would personally be skeptical of such an offer. I would think "Yeah. Sure. And live like this forever without relief or escape. No thanks, buddy." Not everyone frames such problems the same.
    - xvector 5y ago
      To be clear, I'm not discussing a "monkey's paw" sort of scenario, but a legitimate good-faith offer of immortality. A cure for your ailment is almost certainly implied by an offer of immortality. If we are capable of such a feat we will almost certainly have solved the problem of making humans youthful and healthy indefinitely. And realistically speaking, death would still be optional, just not forced upon you and your hopes and dreams by random ailments.
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]

avz 5y ago

If suffering is a problem to solve, then so is death. This is evident to all who grieved.

strken 5y ago

Thinking mortality is intrinsic to being human is pretty close to saying that it's right and proper people should die, and I really don't accept that framing either. There's value in acknowledging we probably can't solve death, and coming to terms with that, but if you had a button sitting in front of you that would completely eradicate cardiovascular disease, you'd press it, right? There's no form of death that I'd even think about keeping, with the exception of suicide and maybe execution.