Attitude Toward One's Own Death
Epicurus (P 500a; Cf 502a)

"Death is nothing to us."

Argument:

Premise: Death is lack of awareness.

Premise: It is only through awareness that there is good or bad.

Intermediate Conclusion: So, death is neither good nor bad.

I.e., "there is nothing terrible in not living."

Conclusion: So, you should not fear death.

"[T]hat which gives no trouble when it comes, is but an empty pain in anticipation."

"[T]herefore, a right understanding that death is nothing to us makes the mortality of life enjoyable, . . . because it takes away the craving for immortality."


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Richard Lee, rlee@uark.edu, last modified: 25 November 2002