Death is bad for the person who dies because it deprives them of the potential future experiences and goods of life that they would otherwise have had.
This answer aligns with philosopher Thomas Nagel's perspective on the badness of death. Nagel argues against the common view (often attributed to Epicurus) that death cannot be bad for the deceased because they no longer exist to experience it. Nagel posits that death's harm lies in the fact that it prevents a person from continuing to live and experience the positive aspects of existence.
Nagel's Deprivation Account
Nagel's argument, known as the "deprivation account," centers on the idea that death deprives a person of future good experiences. This includes:
- Experiencing Subjectivity: Simply existing and experiencing the world as a conscious being is considered a good. Death prevents this.
- Personal Projects and Relationships: Death terminates any ongoing projects, goals, and relationships, denying the individual the satisfaction of their completion and continued enjoyment.
- Future Pleasures and Achievements: Death eliminates the possibility of experiencing any future joys, accomplishments, or enriching experiences.
Addressing the Time Problem
A common objection to the deprivation account is the "time problem." This argues that if a person doesn't exist after death, they can't be harmed by it. Nagel addresses this by saying that the harm isn't located at the time of death, but rather that death cuts off the potential for future goods. The harm is therefore related to the loss of future existence, rather than a negative state experienced at the point of non-existence.
Why it Matters
Understanding why death is considered bad, especially from a philosophical standpoint, is important for several reasons:
- Informing ethical considerations: It impacts how we value life and make decisions about end-of-life care, resource allocation, and even broader societal values.
- Understanding existential anxieties: It helps us grapple with the fear of death and the meaning of life. Recognizing the potential loss of future experiences can motivate us to live more fully and purposefully.
- Considering the value of life: The belief that death is harmful implies that life has intrinsic value. If death wasn't a loss, the value of being alive would be diminished.
In essence, death is bad because it prematurely ends a person's opportunity to experience the goods that life offers. It's the lost potential, not any inherent negativity in the state of death itself, that constitutes the harm.
