耶鲁大学开放课程哲学死亡的26课的英文字幕21.docx

耶鲁大学开放课程哲学死亡的26课的英文字幕21.docx

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耶鲁大学开放课程哲学死亡的26课的英文字幕21

Death:

Lecture21Transcript

ProfessorShellyKagan:

Allright.Lasttimewestartedaskingourselvesaboutwhataresomeoftheotheraspectsofdeaththatmightcontributetoitsbadness,oratleastotherfeaturesofdeaththatareworththinkingabout.Conceivably,someofthemmightreducethebadnessofdeath,insomeway.Wetalkedabouttheinevitabilityofdeath;wetalkedaboutthevariability,thatpeoplehavedifferentlengthsoftimebeforetheydie.Andweturnedtoadiscussionoftheunpredictabilityofdeath,thefactthatbecausewedon'tknow--wecan'tpredict--howmuchmoretimewe'vegot,wemay,asitwere,paceourselvesincorrectly.Youmaytakeonalong-termprojectandthendiebeforeyou'vebeenabletocompleteit;oralternatively,youmaypeaktoosoonandthencontinuetostickaroundinananti-climacticway.Thesearebadsoflifethatcouldpresumablybeavoidedifonlyweknewhowmuchexactlywehad--howmuchlongerwehad.

Ontheotherhand,wehavetoaskourselves--andthisthequestionthatIleftuswithlasttime--whetheritwouldreally,allthingsconsidered,bebettertoknowhowmuchtimeyouhad.Afterall,ifyouknew--supposewehadthebirthmarksthattoldyouwhenyouweregoingtodie--ifyouhadthatkindofabirthmark,youwouldfaceyourentirelifewiththeburdenofknowing,I'vegot48yearsleft,47yearsleft,50yearsleft.Ishould'vebeencountingdown--35,30,25andsoforth.Manyofuswouldfindthatwas,asIsay,aburden--somethinghangingconstantlyoverusinterferingwithourabilitytoenjoylife.

Supposethatthereweresomesortofgeneticmarkerand,althoughwedidn'thaveatattoothatyouwouldjusthavetolookat,butyoucouldhavegeneticcounseling--haveyourDNAexaminedandyoucouldtell,ifyouhadtheDNAtesting,howmuchtimeyouhadleft.Wouldyouwanttogetthattestingdone?

Now,that'sofcoursesciencefiction,andIpresumeit'sgoingtostaysciencefiction--thoughwe'reonthecuspofhavingsomethingatleastapproximatingthataswelearnmoreandmoreaboutthevariousgenesthatcarryvariousdiseases,we--moreandmoreofusfacethequestionofwhetherornotwewanttogettestedforthosediseases.

Supposetherewasatest.Indeed,oneoccasionallyreadsinthenewspaperaboutthissortofthingwhereyoucangettestedforsuchandsuchadisease.Youmightknowalreadythatyou'vegota50percentchanceofhavingit,butyoudon'tknowwhetheryouyourselfhaveit.Ifyoudohaveit,thediseasewillalwayshaveonsetbyage40,50orwhathaveyou.Wouldyouwanttohavethatkindofinformation?

Closelyrelatedquestion.Ifyoudidknowhowmuchtimeyouhadleft,howwouldyouactdifferentlyfromwhatyou'redoingnow?

Woulditfocusyourattentiononmakingsureyoudidthethingsthatweremostimportanttoyou?

Andit'sworth--;it'ssortofausefultestforaskingyourselfwhatarethethingsyoumustvalueinlife--toask,whatwouldyouchoosetodoifyouknewyouhadfiveyears,tenyears,whathaveyou?

There'sanoldSaturdayNightLiveroutinewhereoneoftheactorsisinthedoctor'soffice,andthedoctorgiveshimtheverysadnewsthathe'sgottwominuteslefttolive.Andhesays,"I'mgoingtopackalifetimeofenjoymentintothosetwominutes."Andthenofcourse,thepointoftheskitishepressesthedownbuttonontheelevatorandaminuteandahalfgoesbywhilehe'swaitingfortheelevatortocome.

Ifyouknewyouhadayearleftortwoyearsleft,whatwouldyoudowiththattime?

Wouldyoubeinschool?

Wouldyoutravel?

Wouldyouspendmoretimehangingoutwithyourfriends?

Avery,forme,extremelystrikingexampleofthisquestionoccurredinthisveryclass.Therewasastudentinthisclasssomeyearsagowhowasdying.Andheknewthathewasdying.He'dbeendiagnosedwith,ifIrecallcorrectly,cancerasafreshmen--andhisdoctorhadtoldhimthatheprettymuchhadnochanceofrecoveryandindeedhadonlyacouplemoreyearstolive.Facedwiththatquestion,hehadtoaskhimself,"Well,whatshouldIdowithmyremainingyears?

"Itwasastonishingenoughthatsomebody--butperhapsunderstandable--thatsomebodyinthatsituationwoulddecidetotakeaclassondeathandthenhavehimself,submithimself,tomygettinguphereweekafterweek,talkingabouthowthere'snosoul,there'snoprospectforanafterlife,it'sagoodthingthatwe'reallgoingtodie.

Butfacedwiththequestionwhatshouldhedo,whatdidhewanttodowithhisremainingcoupleofyears,whathedecidedhewantedtodowasfinishhisYaledegree--thoughthe'dsethimselfthegoalofgraduatingcollegebeforehedied.Andhewastakingthisclasssecondsemesterofhissenioryear.Atleast,hewastakingituntilSpringBreak.BySpringBreakhe'dgottensufficientlysickthathisdoctorbasicallysaid,"Youcan'tcontinueinsch