The Philosophy of Death and its Effects on Humanity
Historical Predecessors to Critchley’s Viewpoints: Those of Ancient Greece believed that living based on the philosophical concepts of “training for wisdom” would allow one to obtain the state of independence and inner freedom. Two important sects of philosophy during this era were those of Epicureanism and Stoicism, which both added to this credence the notion that human beings are a part of the cosmos and, as a result, have the potential to be spread throughout universal nature to infinity. A disciple of the founder of Epicureanism (Epicurus) by the name of Metrodorus is quoted as stating “Remember that, although you are mortal and have only a limited lifespan, yet you have risen, through the contemplation of nature, to the infinity of space and time, and you have seen all of the past and all of the future” (Hadot 265). The above scenario may not instantly appear to connect with Professor Critchley’s view of how explori...