Chapter 46 Self Quiz

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. Kagan addresses a puzzle about our attitudes toward death, which arises from the observation that

we care about our postdeath nonexistence but not our prelife nonexistence. correct incorrect

we care about our existence but only when we exist. correct incorrect

we are not upset about the prospects of our postdeath nonexistence even though we value our existence. correct incorrect

we care as much about our prelife nonexistence as much as we care about our postdeath nonexistence. correct incorrect

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. Kagan claims that most philosophers think the badness of death is

merely the product of instinct arising from natural selection. correct incorrect

explained in part by the fact that we justifiably regard prelife nonexistence differently than postdeath nonexistence. correct incorrect

an unshakable false belief with a practical existence of its own. correct incorrect

both A and C correct incorrect

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. In Nagel’s view, death is bad because

those who continue to exist suffer the pain of sadness caused by your death. correct incorrect

all know that it is inevitable, and this harms us during life. correct incorrect

you could have lived longer by having been born earlier. correct incorrect

you could have lived longer by having your death come later. correct incorrect

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. Kagan describes Feldman as explaining the badness of death by noting that

when you reflect on your prelife nonexistence, you experience no fear. correct incorrect

when you imagine death coming later, you imagine a longer life, but when you imagine birth coming earlier, you imagine the same lifespan over a different time period. correct incorrect

you could have lived longer by having your death come later. correct incorrect

we are predisposed to favor the future over the past. correct incorrect

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. Kagan describes Parfit as explaining the badness of death by

reference to empirical facts about our evolutionary origins. correct incorrect

improving and elaborating upon Feldman’s view. correct incorrect

claiming that we are oriented toward and care about the future in a way that we’re not in the case of the past. correct incorrect

when you imagine death coming later, you imagine a longer life, but when you imagine birth coming earlier, you imagine the same lifespan over a different time period. correct incorrect

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. Kagan notes that Lucretius thought we were wrong to be upset about the prospect of our own deaths.

True correct incorrect

False correct incorrect

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. Kagan is primarily concerned about explaining why we have the attitudes about death that we do.

True correct incorrect

False correct incorrect

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. Kagan rejects Parfit’s hospital case as unrealistic.

True correct incorrect

False correct incorrect

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. Kagan does not claim to have solved Lucretius’s puzzle.

True correct incorrect

False correct incorrect

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. Kagan claims that both Nagel and Feldman proceed on the same mistaken assumption.

True correct incorrect

False correct incorrect