Death and the Afterlife

Samuel Scheffler, Death and the Afterlife: If you discovered the human race were going to be annihilated soon after you died, how would you react? With profound dismay, Scheffler expects. Social and personal activities would lose their meaning. What matters to us now is grounded by the assumption that humanity has a future. Our social-distancing culture war is mistakenly depicted as a simple conflict between the narrow personal interests of guideline-flaunters who want to shop, party, or get a haircut, and the broader social obligations upheld by stalwart stay-at-homes. Add to this mix BLM protesters, for whom social justice takes priority. Scheffler’s work undercuts these seeming disparities, asking all of us to consider how the future of humanity underpins our individual and collective values. Individual interests are not at odds with humanity at large; they depend upon it. [recommended by Kathy Behrendt, Wilfrid Laurier University]

Scroll to Top