Epicurean famously asserted that death should not be feared,
with roughly the following argument:
- When we die, we no longer exist;
- Since we no longer exist, we can feel neither pain nor
pleasure. Rather, we simple "are not";
- Therefore, there is nothing to fear in death, as death
literally is nothing from our perspective. I find this
Epicurean reasoning about death very compelling, but I must concede
that it has counterintuitive implications, not least of which is
that it appears to suggest that attempted murder is worse for the
victim than successful murder. If only Caesar hadn’t had time to
say ‘et tu, Brute’he would’ve been fine. However, even if the
Epicurean view has these implications, they are not sufficient to
constitute a reductio of the position if the argument for it cannot
be faulted. And it is not clear that alternative views fare any
better in the strange consequences department.