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This study group provides an opportunity to explore fundamental philosophical problems surrounding death.

The Philosophy of Death study group provides an opportunity to ask questions such as: “What does it mean to die and who or what is the ‘person’ that dies? Is it merely a physical body, or is it also something like a soul, and, if so, does the existence of a soul indicate that there is some hope of immortality? What should our attitude toward death be and what effect should that have on the way we live our lives?” The study group uses a number of prominent philosophical and literary works—including those by Plato, Tolstoy, Montaigne, Jonathan Swift, Walter Kauffmann and Lucretius—to think about death philosophically.

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Runs Sept. 19, 2011 to Nov. 4, 2011
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Activity Wall Discussion #1 (Due 10/10, Follow-Up 10/15

DISCUSSION #1 on ACTIVITY WALL

(Initial comments by October 10th; follow-up comments by October 15th)

Core Reading: Plato’s Phaedo

After completing Unit 1, please post your comments on the following philosophical issues on the P2PU Activity Wall for this study group:

Describe the philosophical questions that surround the inevitable biological event of death.
Compare the philosophical notion of mind/body dualism with the idea of physicalism and how these doctrines imply different attitudes about death.
Discuss the fundamental arguments that Plato makes in his work Phaedo in regards to the immortality of the soul.

Post your initial comments on the P2PU Activity Wall by midnight (Eastern time) on October 10th Then, between October 10th and October 15th please make certain to read the comments of other study group members and post a few follow-up comments that engage your colleague’s comments. Please make sure to reply to the initial posts by midnight (Eastern time) on October 15th.

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