The Denial of Death.

[toshmanta]

One of the biggest influences in my life was Ernest Becker's Pulitzer prize winning book " The Denial of Death", basically cultures are based on various immortality projects or terror management theories that provide emotional significance,purpose and meaning. We all want to be something more heroic(significant) than our finite physical body,we need to be part of some eternal epic and most of human conflict is caused by competing projects.

Becker himself does not offer a solution but i think the answer lies in changing attitudes toward death,it seems to me if one accepts life is short and finite it heightens ones appreciation of time and the importance of filling this time with meaningful,purposeful and significant endeavours.

My opposition to religions is not that i disagree with most of their values but they use immortality to reinforce them,i think we can reinforce humanity and reduce conflict by preaching mortality.

I do not expect anyone to read the book but there is a video The Flight From Death narrated by Gabriel Byrne you may find interesting.



I do not think this video works lol.

[Spellbound454]

i think we can reinforce humanity and reduce conflict by preaching mortality.

Really?..... and how do you do that if there is no construct in place...... and no preachers.

It would be anarchy. Everyone out for everything they can get..... before they die.

You can't just take away a persons' moral compass and replace it with nothing.

As a fan of evolution Tosh, you should know we function best in tribes or groups held together by culture, tradition and belief systems.
We aren't solitary animals..... We need to be part of a collective.

[toshmanta]

Spell,there are thousands of community based orgs who are not religious,also it will increase the family bond,I am not suggestion loneliness as an alternative to immortality,in fact the opposite,we will value relationships more not less.

[toshmanta]

Dec 5, 2016 13:04:00 GMT -5 toshmanta said:

Dec 5, 2016 12:03:29 GMT -5 Spellbound454 said:

Really?..... and how do you do that if there is no construct in place...... and no preachers.

It would be anarchy. Everyone out for everything they can get..... before they die.

You can't just take away a persons' moral compass and replace it with nothing.

As a fan of evolution Tosh, you should know we function best in tribes or groups held together by culture, tradition and belief systems.
We aren't solitary animals..... We need to be part of a collective.

[br. Our moral compass does not need religion there are many civilised societies who are not religious to any great degree.