Explain Nagel's Point When He Says, "It Is Often Remarked

question 118

Essay

Explain Nagel's point when he says, "It is often remarked that nothing we do now will matter in a million years. But if that is true, then by the same token, nothing that will be the case in a million years matters now. In particular, it does not matter now that in a million years nothing we do now will matter."

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Definitions:

Operant Conditioning

A method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior, where an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior.

Gestation

The period of development from the fertilization of an ovum until birth in pregnant mammals, including humans.

Dishabituation

The renewal of attention to a stimulus following a change, after initial habituation (or decreased response) to the same or similar stimuli.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.