What Is the Deprivation View of the Badness of Death

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The Answer is The deprivation view of the badness of death is the idea that death is bad because it deprives a person of the goods and experiences they would have had if they had continued to live. This view suggests that the badness of death is based on the loss of future opportunities and experiences.

The Symmetry Argument is an argument that challenges the deprivation view by pointing out a supposed inconsistency in its reasoning. It argues that if the deprivation view is true, then we should also consider the period before a person's birth as equally bad, since it deprives them of the goods and experiences they would have had if they had been born earlier. This argument is supposed to provide reason to reject deprivationism by showing that it leads to an unreasonable conclusion.

The Impossibility Solution to the Symmetry Argument is a response to this challenge. It suggests that it is impossible to be deprived of the goods and experiences before one's birth because there is no subject to be deprived at that time. In other words, the non-existence of a person before their birth means that they cannot be deprived of anything during that time.

This solution is defended by pointing out that the concept of deprivation requires a subject who is being deprived, and since there is no subject before a person's birth, there can be no deprivation. Therefore, the badness of death is not symmetrical to the non-existence before birth.

Whether this solution is satisfactory is a matter of debate. Some may find it convincing because it addresses the supposed inconsistency in the deprivation view and provides a clear explanation for why the period before birth is not considered equally bad. However, others may still find it unsatisfactory because it relies on the concept of non-existence, which is a difficult and contentious philosophical concept. Ultimately, the satisfaction with this solution may depend on one's philosophical perspective and beliefs about the nature of existence and deprivation.

What Is the Deprivation View of the Badness of Death

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