Reasons and the Fear of DeathRowman & Littlefield, 2002 - 167 pages Death, violent or otherwise, is a matter of widespread concern with ongoing debates about such matters as euthanasia and the nature of brain death. Philosophers have often argued about the rationality of fear of death. This book argues that that dispute has been misconceived: fear of death is not something that follows or fails to follow from reason, but rather, it forms the basis of reasoning and helps to show why people must be cooperating beings who accept certain sorts of facts as reasons for acting. Within the context of this account of reasons, the book gives a new understanding of brain death and of physician-assisted suicide. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Reason and the Fear of Death | 9 |
Concepts and Their Formal Elements | 27 |
Evolution and Ethics | 49 |
Concepts Rationality and Death | 83 |
What Is Death? | 107 |
The Reasonableness of Assisting Death | 135 |
| 157 | |
| 163 | |
About the Author | |
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Common terms and phrases
accept action alive altruism argue argument assisted suicide attitude autonomy avoid behavior brain death brain function brainstem breathing capacity chapter claim compassion concept of death concern conventions cooperation courage danger dead debate definition of death depends Dudley and Stephens Dworkin emotions euthanasia evolution evolutionary evolved example explain Fannie Bay fear death fear of death feel formal element genes genetic give higher brain Hobbes human idea important inclinations intentional object interests issue justice killing Kovesi lives Lucretius material elements matter mean Moral Notions murder natural Northern Territory one's organism Oxford pain palliative care particular patient person Peter Singer philosophers play possible premature burial principle problem rational reasons for acting recognitors recognize relevant response Richard Dawkins risk role selfish sense significance simply social species sorts of facts Steven Pinker suffering survival tests Thomas Hobbes treat University Press Youngner