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Is Death a Misfortune? Exploring the Value of Existence and the Nature of Suffering

In this thought-provoking exploration, we examine the complexities of life and death through the lens of a philosophical thought experiment. By adopting a child and immersing them in the magical world of Harry Potter, only to reveal the harsh reality that magic isn’t real, we confront the question of whether losing the joy of existence can be viewed as a misfortune. This investigation touches upon the dichotomy of divine creation versus evolutionary processes, suggesting that both our existence and our demise may be viewed in terms of unearned fortune. Ultimately, we consider the value of life, death, and the burdens of existence.

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Is Death a Misfortune? Exploring the Value of Existence and the Nature of Suffering

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Is Death a Misfortune? Creighton Sullivan

  2. Thought Experiment • Adopt child • Hire actors to portray Harry Potter universe • Go through “traditional” motions (choose a wand, magic textbooks, etc) • Take child to train station and instruct to run through a pillar to reach “hidden platform” • Child runs into wall, you reveal that magic isn’t real and return child to orphanage

  3. How is this ok? • Out of all the children at the orphanage, one particular child got to spend time with someone that truly cared for and loved them (or so they think)

  4. Only after being fortunate enough to experience this event was the child wronged. It is a propitious misfortune

  5. Human life came into existence in two possible ways • There is a God, which designed the universe and everything in it (including us) • There is no divine creator and humanity came about through natural processes

  6. Option 1: There is a God • A God would have had many options • The God chose this scenario, in which not only humanity exists, but each of us individuals exist

  7. Option 2: Evolutionary events created us • We are lucky that all conditions were so perfect to allow humanity to come about • We are lucky that each of us individuals exist

  8. In either case, we were all granted an unearned fortune that we had no rights to. To lose this is no misfortune, as we had to be fortunate enough in the first place to exist

  9. Leibniz • Leibniz theorized that this is the best of all possible worlds • The best world requires • Our life • Our death

  10. Taxes are a burden, but only to those lucky enough to live in an established society. • Death is like taxes, only those lucky enough to be born are fortunate enough to experience it

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