Presentation Example on the Nature and Importance of Death

Question #1: How did the theory of afterlife come about?

One of the most focal topics that are has been of significant concern to scholars and philosophers since time immemorial is the nature and importance of death. Human beings have been trying to grapple with death for as long as humankind itself is in existence. What happens to us after we die? Where do we go? Is there life after death? These are some of the questions that have never found answers as no one ever comes back to report if there is life after death. According to Ernest Beckers famous 1974 book, The Denial of Death [7], the theory of life after death has its origin from mans attempt to come to terms with death. The ancient Egyptian are some of the people who believed in life after death and went to great lengths to prepare their pharaohs for life after death. Religious books such as the Bible and Quran may also be the source of the theory of life after death. They point out to the fact that human life here on earth is preparing us for an endless life after death. Some ancient philosophers such as Plato and Socrates openly embraced death saying those who were good in this life would get a better life afterlife.

Question #2: How do we know this is not hell?

A lack of a true comparison of the intensities of evil perpetrated on earth, and that of any other place which has life has led some to speculate that earth is the real hell. There is so much suffering on earth to which philosophy has always struggled to explain if earth means hell. Hell has been perceived by many as a place for retributive punishment for evil doers on earth. The question of whether earth is hell can be answered by defining hell itself. According to philosopher Jonathan L. Kvanvig in his book The problem of hell [6], hell is the most intractable version of the fate of evil, and that kind people do not exist in hell. Earth has a lot of good people and bad people too. Hell is pure suffering according to Christian and Islamic religion, while earth is a place of happiness and misery. Some occurrences have come to be known as hell on earth, meaning that hell is pure suffering. Earth does not, therefore, qualify to be hell because some good comes out of it.

Question #3: What can we do to redeem ourselves from hell?

The question of avoiding hell lies significantly on ones believes and understanding about hell. According to popular belief, hell is the place where evildoers are punished [15]. Therefore, to avoid hell, one has to be a good person while he is alive. The question of being good also lies on ones believes. The universal definition of being good means being kind to one another and having a loving attitude to everybody. The opposite of being good is evil. Therefore, to avoid hell, one has to be a good person on earth and for Christians and Muslims, believe in God wholeheartedly while they are still alive. For some beliefs such as those of the Catholic religion, people who die while in sin can be prayed for so that they cannot be moved to hell from purgatory. The baseline is, for one to avoid hell, they have to avoid sin on earth.

Question #4: What is reincarnation?

Reincarnation can be defined as the rebirth of the soul in a different body[16]. The concept of reincarnation has long existed since time immemorial with ancient religions such as those of the Mithras strongly believing in being born again but taking another body after birth. Some tribes in India consider cows sacred since they think they are the souls of their ancestors in animal form. Rebirth presents just another attempt by man to come to terms with death [17].

Question #5 Does heaven exist?

The answer as to whether heaven exists is a tough one to answer. Both modern and ancient philosophers have engaged in endless debates about this subject. According to Christians and Muslims heaven exists since because their religion says so. However, according to atheists, the question is deeply divisive. According to Stephen Hawking, a modern philosopher, there is no heaven, and it's all a made up fairly story [9]. However, other philosophers have pointed out to the fact that if hell exists, then heaven must exist. And if we exist on earth, then there is a better chance that there is a place with perfect life with no deaths or suffering, called heaven. There is a great possibility that heaven exists.

Question #6: What if there is nothing after death? (Annihilation)

It is complicated to explain if there is something or nothing after death. Thats why philosophers have always left the issue of life after death unresolved. The possibility of annihilation existing after death is just the same as that of life existing after death [10]. However, the whole question of how our life came to be, we do not understand quite well. According to Descartes a popular philosopher, it is safe to assume that there is life after death by us just existing on earth today.

Question #7: Are there any disadvantages of believing in God?

One of the most popular philosophical arguments that can be used to answer this question is the Pascals Wager, put forward by Blaise Pascal [8]. He uses logical arguments to show that we have nothing to lose at all by believing in God. Does he justify his answer to the question of what id there is a God? Will we lose anything if there is no God? What if there is a God, if we believe in him do we stand to gain anything? The answer is yes. There are no disadvantages of believing in God at all.

Question #8: Why is it so important for people to believe in an afterlife?

It is so important for people to believe in the afterlife since it gives them a comfort for the sufferings they undergo here on earth. If people never believed in the afterlife at all, there would be a lot of unimaginable evils committed on earth since it would spell the end of everything. Man, according to modern psychology, is inherently afraid of the unknown [9]. Therefore, believing in life after death, while they are not sure it exists, gives them hope and assurance in life.

Question #9: If you could bring a personal possession to the afterlife with you, what would it be?

Man is naturally greedy for material possession. The Egyptians believed in life after death and put all the belongings that pharaoh would need after death in the pyramids which were thought to be the gateway to the afterlife. Servants and even live animals such as horses were sealed into the pyramids! I would take my parents siblings and friends to the next world of an afterlife if it were possible.

Question #10: Is it that important to prove whether an afterlife exists?

Proving that afterlife exists after death is very important. It is as important as trying to survive a sickness since it will give us a reason to live a better life here on earth. Life after death is a very attractive idea especially given the fact that we have not found any fulfilment on earth. Plato argued that we should anticipate death since its the beginning of a better life [5]. Proving this will be very useful for planning for the next life.

Question #11: When you think of death, what feeling does it evoke?

Death evokes a feeling of hopelessness in many people. However, according to some philosophers such as Socrates, they believed there was a good reason to embrace death since at they thought they could recover full knowledge when they died. Death evokes a feeling of joy to Christians and the theistic believers while bringing a sense of indifference to the atheists [12]. According to Platos Apology, we should not fear death since everybody is mortal and all life must walk the road of death.

Question #12: What is death after all?

The Bible defines death as sleep. Just as one goes to sleep and rises afterwards, so is a person who dies. Jesus, when Lazarus died, said that he was just but sleeping. According to Plato in his written letter Apology [4], the dead can be defined as either a state of nothingness and complete unconsciousness or a migration from the current world to the next world. For others, however, death is the reincarnation of the soul.

Question #13: Do animals also have an afterlife?

Animals are different from the man in that they do not have a soul [13]. Animals cannot believe in any deity. The question as to whether animals will have a place in the afterlife depends on chance and believe. According to the Bible, there would be animals in the afterlife such as the lamb and the lion. Popular philosophy has never come up with a satisfactory proof of an afterlife, however.

Question #14: Why do we die to live if there is an afterlife?

This is another confusing question which philosophy has never answered satisfactorily. Most causes of death among humans are preventable. However, people have to die from old age eventually. According to science, death is a natural occurrence, and everything that lives must die mainly due ageing cells. Its puzzling because even trees die from ageing cells. According to the bible, we die because we partake in the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:17). Sin spoiled everything that was good and introduced death. According to Islam, in Quran 21:35, death is the exam of life as it determines where the soul will go. We could have just gone to the afterlife and lived eternally so as not to die on earth. Philosophy has no solid answer to this question.

Question #15: What is the purpose of the afterlife?

In his book Death and The Afterlife, [3] Philosopher Samuel Scheffler argues that he does not believe in the concept of the soul surviving the physical body. However, he believes that other people will live on. He argues that the earth is a place where people can either prove themselves to be fit for the afterlife or not. From this perspective, it is evident that immortality is for the people who passed the life test. Those who failed are not fit to live in the next world. Afterlife therefore is for the righteous people according to Samuelss definition.

Question #16: Is death better than afterlife?

There is already too much suffering on earth. Some people find comfort in death will another fond comfort in the afterlife, that is, life after death. Socrates once said that life is preparation for death. But which is comfortable? Is it afterlife or death forever? According to philosophy, human beings prefer to choose life over death depending on where fulfilment lies [14]. Gaining an afterlife which represents eternal life is better than having an eternal death.

Question #17: Which is preferable to the afterlife and the current life we are living?

According to James Fiesers Great Issues in Philosophy [2], the quality of life is determined by the sense of achievement and happiness one attains no matter the circumstances. Therefore, an argument can be put forward to say that the current life we are in is more fulfilling than the afterlife if it exists because we dont know if it exists. Living life to the fullest is the best approach that can be taken in such a question [19]. Various religions have described afterlife as being full of joy with no struggles. I wonder what if life without struggle has a sense of fulfilment.

Question #18: Given a chance, will you choose to live this life forever in the current state of the world or die and then get into a perfect afterlife if there is one?

Man is naturally afraid of the unknown. Therefore, man would rather choose to remain in a pathetic place he is sure of surviving in than venture into a place he is not sure about [20]. Fear is almost always the inhibitor of change. What if I chose to die only to find out that there is no afterlife and then fail to resurrect back again? I would, therefore, choose to remain on earth rather than venture into an afterlife I am not sure about, so long as I wont die again while on earth

Works Cited

Lovecraft, H. P., James Turner, Robert Bloch, Ramsey Campbell, and Brian Lum...