Subject is PHILOSOPHY Epicurus: What does it mean that “death is nothing to us”?
ID: 3460388 • Letter: S
Question
Subject is PHILOSOPHY
Epicurus: What does it mean that “death is nothing to us”? Why does Epicurus think that we should not
fear death? [Be able to produce his argument for this.]
Mackie: What are the two stages into which Mackie divides Aquinas’ Argument from Contingency (i.e.,
the Third Way)? What are the various objections to these two stages?
Gaunilo: What are Gaunilo’s arguments against Anselm’s proof for God’s existence? Why does Gaunilo
think that God cannot be conceived? How is this a criticism of Anselm’s argument? What is Gaunilo trying
to demonstrate with his illustration of the ‘Lost Island’? How is this a criticism of Anselm’s argument?
Explanation / Answer
On saying "death is nothing to us", Epicurus suggests that wise men, who he refers to as us, do not fear death. This is based on Epicureanism, or atomic materialism. According to this, hell and heaven are not to be feared for they become void after death. This is concluded from the idea that the soul is material, and is destroyed by death. Therefore death is not painful experience for wise men, men who know, because suffering exists in the soul and without soul, suffering becomes nil.