Overview

What is death and why does it matter to us? How should the knowledge of our finitude affect the living of our lives and what are the virtues suitable to mortal beings? Does death destroy the meaningfulness of lives, or would lives that never ended be eternally and absurdly tedious? Should we reconcile ourselves to the fact of our forthcoming death, or refuse to ""go gently into that good night""? Can death really be an evil if, after death, we no longer exist as subjects of goods or evils? How should we respond to the deaths of others and do we have any duties towards the dead? These, and many other, questions are addressed in Geoffrey Scarre's book, which draws upon a wide variety of philosophical and literary sources to offer an up-to-date and highly readable study of some major ethical and metaphysical riddles concerning death and dying.

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9781844650828

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Reviews

"""Throughout the book Scarre succeeds brilliantly in laying out many of the mind-blowing problems and paradoxes of death. He moves easily from the ancient Greeks to the theories of Feinberg, Nagel, Fischer, Freud and Jaspers, and he admirably sticks to the essential questions which are on the table. With great competence and skill, Scarre takes on the role of guide and teacher who breaks down difficult arguments and positions for his readers. And since death is such a complicated and tricky matter, this, in itself, is a feat worth celebrating."" - Ethical Perspectives ""A clearly-written introduction ... the book offers a comprehensive and thorough survey of this fascinating philosophical field."" - Mortality ""Lucid, informed, and engaging, Geoffrey Scarre's book is an excellent introduction to the philosophy of death. Scarre surveys the literature on the nature and significance of death and makes original contributions of his own."" - Steven Luper, Trinity University, San Antonio"

Throughout the book Scarre succeeds brilliantly in laying out many of the mind-blowing problems and paradoxes of death. He moves easily from the ancient Greeks to the theories of Feinberg, Nagel, Fischer, Freud and Jaspers, and he admirably sticks to the essential questions which are on the table. With great competence and skill, Scarre takes on the role of guide and teacher who breaks down difficult arguments and positions for his readers. And since death is such a complicated and tricky matter, this, in itself, is a feat worth celebrating. - Ethical Perspectives A clearly-written introduction ... the book offers a comprehensive and thorough survey of this fascinating philosophical field. - Mortality Lucid, informed, and engaging, Geoffrey Scarre's book is an excellent introduction to the philosophy of death. Scarre surveys the literature on the nature and significance of death and makes original contributions of his own. - Steven Luper, Trinity University, San Antonio

Author Information

Geoffrey Scarre is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Durham.

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