12/06/2024
Who are you?
This is a very important question particularly because we cannot know what to value or how to live in the here and now and whether death is the end or not independent of an answer to that question. However we need to know what to value or how to live in the here and now; And subsequently we must not only ask ourselves that question but we must also seek an answer to it.
Now, the one reason for why a lot of people live like there is no hope beyond death is because they believe that they are identical to the body. Moreover the reason they value hedonism is because they believe that they are essentially material beings. Which is why the following thing would have been the case if i asked them the following questions, who are you?, and can you tell me about yourself?, namely that they'd identify themselves with their body by attributing their names and physical attributes to it.
But:
Are you really identical to the biological body?
Here's what I think:
If physicalism is true, then yes is the answer. And if every thing, including mental states can be understood in terms of matter, then the answer is yes.
Moreover the physicalism believes that the antecedent is really the case; And subsequently you are identical to the biological death. Moreover the biological body does not have the hope of an afterlife. Which is why a lot of people like death is the end. And right so! For if death is the end, then let's eat, drink, be merry, and do whatever makes us happy, because we only have a limited amount of time left. Not only that! For If death is the end, then why value the value of temperance? Why not gratify yourself? Why not indulge in whatever you want?
The point is this, namely that the answer to the flowing question, who are you?, will determine how you live or what you value in the here and now.
Moreover it will also determine what you perceive as worthwhile.
Now, i do not believe that materialism or physicalism is true. On the contrary i believe that the conscious mental being that can causally interact with the body that it dwells in via the central nervous system has the characteristics of intentionality and a subjective, qualitative, and personal characteristics; And subsequently if the biological body can be equated with you, then the biological body has the same characteristics as you or as that conscious mental being that dwells in it, particularly no thing can be that which we perceived it as unless it has its characteristics. However the biological body does not have the same characteristics as you or as that conscious mental being that dwells in it. On the contrary, or unlike that conscious mental being or unlike you, the biological body has an objective, impersonal, and quantitative characteristic; And consequently you are not identical to the biological body. Moreover if you are not identical to the biological body, then you are not subject to biological death, particularly because only biological bodies are subject to biological death. And subsequently you are not subject to the body's biological death. So you can survive the death of the body. Moreover if you can survive the body's biological death, then you have the hope of an afterlife.
Therefore you have the hope of an afterlife.
Not only that! If you have the hope of an afterlife, then you do not need to live like there is no hope beyond biological death. Not only that! For if you have this hope, then you do not need to mourn the death of a loved one as if he or she does not exist anymore. For the antithesis is really the case because death is simply the separation of the essential person from his or her biological body. And since the essential person cannot die, you are mourning the death of the body, not the essentially, when his or her biological body dies. See Quotes and lessons
