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    Epicurus's symmetry argument establishes that the pre-nat... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→A person may be benefitted or harmed by things that happen while she is dead (i.e., posthumous harm exists).

    Epicurus's symmetry argument establishes that the pre-natal and post-mortem states are relevantly identical: in neither does the person exist to be affected.

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    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Being harmed requires existing as a subject capable of experiencing negative states; pre-natal non-existence satisfies this criterion.
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    • 2.If death is bad, it must be bad for someone; but the dead person cannot experience badness, making death's badness metaphysically obscure.
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    • 3.Asymmetrical attitudes toward pre-birth and post-death (regretting one but not the other) lack rational justification on Epicurus's view.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.Pre-natal non-existence differs metaphysically from death: only death involves the termination of an existing person's life narrative.
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    • 2.Death can be bad comparatively (worse than continued life) even if not bad for the subject; pre-birth lacks this comparative harm.
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    • 3.We can rationally prefer longer lives to shorter ones without claiming death itself is experientially bad, avoiding Epicurus's problem.
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    Connections

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    Afterlife & Death1 linked

    Related

    A person may be benefitted or harmed by things that happen while she is dead (i....Asymmetrical attitudes toward pre-birth and post-death (regretting one but not t...Being harmed requires existing as a subject capable of experiencing negative sta...Death can be bad comparatively (worse than continued life) even if not bad for t...
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    If death is bad, it must be bad for someone; but the dead person cannot experien...Pre-natal non-existence differs metaphysically from death: only death involves t...We can rationally prefer longer lives to shorter ones without claiming death its...

    Details

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    claim
    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit