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    If the symmetry argument succeeds, any rational preferenc... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→It is not irrational to prefer that our lives be extended into the future rather than the past.

    If the symmetry argument succeeds, any rational preference for future over past life extension rests on a temporal bias—mere proximity to the present—rather than a principled asymmetry.

    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.We cannot rationally prefer future events over past ones if the only difference is temporal location, since temporal location itself carries no intrinsic value.
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    • 2.Asymmetries in our attitudes toward past and future life extension track only our causal relationship to them, not principled reasons for differential concern.
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    • 3.If we reject temporal bias in other domains (e.g., moral weight), consistency demands rejecting it regarding life extension preferences.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.Future life remains open to our agency and choices, while past life is causally sealed; this structural difference justifies asymmetric preferences independent of bias.
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    • 2.Our phenomenological experience of time's directedness (anticipation vs. memory) reflects genuine metaphysical features, not mere bias or proximity effects.
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    • 3.Preferring future extension serves forward-looking prudential interests (continued projects, relationships), while past extension cannot fulfill such interests.
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    Key Terms

    Principled asymmetry(referring to a distinction between genetics and environment)
    A justified or logical reason why two things should be treated as fundamentally different from each other.
    Symmetry argument(as used in arguments about the harm of death)
    An argument that says if two situations are mirror images of each other in relevant ways, they should be treated the same way—in this case, the time before you were born and the time after you die should be viewed identically.
    life extension(as used in philosophy of time and ethics)
    Adding more years or time to how long a person lives.
    proximity to the present(as used in philosophy of time)
    How close something is to right now; in this case, favoring the future simply because it's nearer to us in time than the distant past.
    temporal bias(as used in philosophy of time)
    An unfair preference for things based on when they happen, rather than on any real difference between them—like favoring the future just because it's coming up next.

    Connections

    1 topic

    Afterlife & Death1 linked

    Related

    Asymmetries in our attitudes toward past and future life extension track only ou...Future life remains open to our agency and choices, while past life is causally ...If we reject temporal bias in other domains (e.g., moral weight), consistency de...It is not irrational to prefer that our lives be extended into the future rather...
    +3 moreShow less
    Our phenomenological experience of time's directedness (anticipation vs. memory)...Preferring future extension serves forward-looking prudential interests (continu...

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit
    We cannot rationally prefer future events over past ones if the only difference ...