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Life, death, immortality |
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02000001
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Why are philosophers particularly appropriate to answer the question of life, death and immortality?Life, death, immortality are magic words that mean infinitely much for each of us. People have thought about them as long as they appeared. Particularly philosophers try to work out them. And this is only natural. Philosophers are specialists in general problems of being and existence. For them life, death, immortality have not only personal, but also universally general meaning.
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1. Life, death, immortality are magic words...
Life, death, immortality are magic words that mean infinitely much for each of us. (02000001) |
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0201 |
About life, idea and purpose of life |
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02010001
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Emptiness of life, lack of significant things, open boredoom - things that lead to criminality, narcotism. Young person may simply be confused: what should be done, why is he or she here on the earth. Spiritual confusion is a suitable ground for all kinds of disturbances in behavior, abnormal behavior. |
2. Behavioral extravagancies.
(02010001) |
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02010002
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What kind of things may lead to behavioral extravagancies?In this situation it is very important to get into clear: in oneself, in life, what it is, of what moments this situation arises, what is the idea of life, is it necessary to put forward a Purpose for life etc. Below I present my view of these problems.
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3.  Balashov's view.
Balashov's view about essentials of life. (02010002) |
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020101 |
What is life? |
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02010101
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What is life?Life is means for existence of living (organisms, animals, human beings), constituing the minimal process for changing nutrition to energy in mutual relationship with environment and proliferation (reproduction of species).
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4. Means of existence of living creatures.
(02010101) |
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02010102
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What kind of life is minimal life?Life has its own minima and maxima. Minimal life is existence of two phases of life in the life cycle: changing nutrition to energy (metabolism of monocellular organisms) and proliferation (division of cells in monocellulars).
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5. Minimal life.
(02010102) |
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02010103
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What are the features that make human being as the maximum of life?Its maximum life reaches in the appearance of human being. In two phases of life cycle psyche is being built (in the one that is inherited from animals) and culture.
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6. Maximum: human.
(02010103) |
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02010104
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In living organisms and creatures life is biologic form of action, in human beings it is biosocial form. |
7. Human life is biosocial form of action.
(02010104) |
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02010105
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What is lifework?For man life is activity in general, integral action, lifework in the deepest sense of this word. In the background of life human being actualizes special or specialized forms of activity, such as conversation, cognition, practical activity, work, rest etc. These forms of activity exist and develop only in general context of life, lifework of the subject.
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02010106
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What are the three levels that can be distinguished in human life?Three levels of human life or three lives of man exist:- Plant life is nutrition, division, growth, reproduction, adaptation.
- Animal life is gathering, hunting, defence, sexual and other behavior, nursing and educating of children, orientative activity, playing activity.
- Cultural life or life in culture is recognition, management, inventive finding, handicraft, sport, art, philosophy.
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9. Three levels of human life.
Plant - Animal - Cultural (02010106) |
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02010107
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This kind of division of life was already outlined by Aristotle (see ‘On soul’, 423a 21 and further 414:30-415:10 and further). |
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02010108
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These three lives are comparatively independent, equally important for man, they function mutually, influence each other and enable each other. As a result we have a rather versatile, rich, contradictory human life. |
10. Independent forms of life.
Independent, equally important for man, they function mutually, influence each other and enable each other. (02010108) |
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02010109
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Which features of life distinguish human life from animal life?The presence of the third level of life in human makes the life principally different of plants or animals and this difference increases by each step of the progress of culture.
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11. Progress of culture.
(02010109) |
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02010110
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As a summary: definition of human life?On the basis of what has been said the following definition may be given: human life is his life as living creature and life in culture.
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12. Definition of human life.
Human life is his life as living creature and life in culture. (02010110) |
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020102 |
The purpose of life |
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02010201
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Fill every movement with reason
Hours and days are in an immutable run
R.Kipling. The condamned |
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02010202
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The problem of the sense of life is above all a question of whether human life has any sense, that is whether it is illuminated by reason, or whether it is without any sense (F089), nonsense, that man is not managed by sense. |
13. Sense of life.
(02010202) |
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02010203
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Has life got an idea?The question of the sensibleness of life is also a question about its value, meaning for the man himself. Has life an idea, is it worth while? (F090)
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14. Is life worth while?
(02010203) |
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02010204
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This question has still such a nuance: we speak of the sense of life, when life is considered as a whole, when such questions as “what is life?”, “for what purpose do we live?”, “why do I live?”, “what do I do in this world?”, when our life is thought of in context of all people, life in general on the Earth, the existence of world as a whole. |
15. Pertinent philosophic questions.
(02010204) |
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02010205
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How do you distinguish between sense of life and goal of life?It is necessary to distinguish clearly the "sense of life” and ”the goal of life”. When a Purpose is in front of a man, for instance in front of a doctor, engineer, scientist, then in this is not yet an answer to the question that bothers him about the sensibility of life (in any case the answer exists only intuitively, in a purely emotional sense). Man in his reasonings goes further: why he must become doctor, engineer, scientist? This way, if the Purpose is showing to what the man aims, so the sense of life tells, why he does this.
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16. Distinguish 'sense' and 'goal'.
(02010205) |
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02010206
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Seeking sense of life: what does it mean?Some people, among others some philosophers, assume that the sense of life is in seeking of this reason of existence. N.A. Berdyaev, for instance, wrote: “Be it that I do not know the sense of life, but the mere seeking of it gives already the sense of life, and I devote my life to this search for the sense of life” (‘Self confessions’, 3rd chapter). This kind of view on the sense of life is just a play of words, wisecracking... Searching continuously, all life long is some kind of infantilism. Grown-up, mature man in one way or other finds the sense of life and puts it into effect, lives corresponding to it. Man searching for the sense of life, trying to find it, has not yet determined, is a man in formation, has not yet solved the tasks of life. Sense of life is like the goal of life. Before reaching the Purpose, moving from Purpose to result, man must determine for himself the Purpose, set it. But setting the Purpose is only the first etappe. Man fulfils his function not in setting, defining the Purpose, but in reaching it. So with the sense of life. Looking for sense of life is only the first part of the problem. The second part is putting the sense of life into reality, to sensible rational life.
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17. Seeking of the sense of life.
1. Looking for sense of life.
2. Putting the sense of life into reality, to sensible rational life. (02010206) |
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02010207
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Life has partly sense, and partly not. What does it mean?Further, very important, on one hand, to search and find the sense of life, but on the other, not to overestimate the significance of this question, not to get into the circular track in looking for the sense of life. Life has partly sense, and partly not.
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18. Life has partly sense, partly not.
(02010207) |
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02010208
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Life has sense in the extent to which it is reasonable, reasonably limited, humanly significant. |
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02010209
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Instincts and organic needs. What is their role in human life?Life has no sense, that is, its sense is not well-placed in the extent that it is automatic and plantlike, in which case it is managed by instincts, regulated by organic needs. French expression ‘c’est la vie’ better than anything else defines its automatism, plantlikeness. Presence of this second side of life allows man not to jump too heavily to search ot the sense of life, not to hurry with the significant to life answers and decisions, that is, to some extent relax, let the stream of life convey, swim along the flow of it.
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19. Instincts and organic needs.
(02010209) |
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02010210
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Love and creativity. What is their role in human life?In what is concretely the sense of life? Clearly everybody answers this question in his or her own way. On the other hand, there are common moments in it. They are love and creativity. In the overwhelming majority of cases people think and appreciate their life in the sphere of these two categories. Love supports, multiplies life, makes it harmonious, harmonizes. Creativity makes possible the progress in life.
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20. Love and creativity.
Love supports, multiplies, harmonizes life. Creativity makes possible the progress in life. (02010210) |
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020103 |
The goal of life |
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02010301
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Blessed who chose the aim and way
And sees in this the essence of lifeSchelling |
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02010302
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Man lives most that time
when he searches something.F.M. Dostoyevsky |
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02010303
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Life is a process of continuous choice. Every moment man has a choice: to get farther or to approach the Purpose. Either movement to greater fear, horror, defence or choice of Pur-pose and increase of spiritual powers. To choose development in stead of fear ten times a day means ten times approach to self-fulfilmeant.A. Macloud |
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02010304
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Comment on: “Life without Purpose is man without head”Purpose ”gives” integrity to action. If this is the goal of life, so it determines the integrity of life. With man who has no goal of life, also life does not get fulfilled as an organic whole in biosocial, that is human sense. “Life without Purpose is man without head” sounds the popular piece of wisdom.
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21. Purpose gives integrity to action.
“Life without Purpose is man without head”. (02010304) |
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02010305
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Still in the adolescent years I defined for myself life guidelines expressed in following words: |
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02010306
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What is the significance of small momentary pleasures for life according to Balashov?People often spend their lives in masses of small enjoyment, joys, not in the sense without thinking of life as a whole, the main goal of life. They are led by rules: “Live as long as you live”, “take of the present all that is to be taken and do not look for future” and so on. Although in mass your small joys make life comfortable, joyful, nevertheless they cannot really satisfy man. Either a man is not only a sum of situations, experiences. Man is a whole, collection of all his situations. He cannot be satisfied by small momentary pleasures. He needs joy that is all embracing. It does not appear as a simple sum of small joys. This big joy emerges in a stubborn fight that continues throughout the life.
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22. What is the significance of small momentary pleasures?
Man is a whole, collection of all his situations. He cannot be satisfied by small momentary pleasures. He needs joy that is all embracing. It does not appear as a simple sum of small joys. This big joy emerges in a stubborn fight that continues throughout the life. (02010306) |
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02010307
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What is the highest joy of life?Setting a general goal of life, is striving to this purpose with all powers of soul and finally to reach it, alas, there is the highest joy of life!
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23. General goal of life.
(02010307) |
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02010308
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Everybody does not set for himself a goal in life, but if he or she does, so this man supposes life as a purposeful activity. |
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02010309
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What is the value of subsidiary and temporary goals of life?In general, in real life a whole tree of goals exist. In addition to it subsidiary, temporary, or secondary goals exist. Subsidiary, temporary goals are goals the existence of which opens the road to main goal of life, approaches it. Subsidiary and temporary goals are goals that which give form to the whole “kitchen” of life, condition the full-valued harmonious development of man. In its totality they are not less important, than the main goal of life (for instance, goal fortifies health by means of physical culture, constructs the house, different passtimes, hobbies). In some situations a conflict emerges between the main goal and the secondary goals. This conflict can be finished either by the prevalence of the main goal or by the prevalence of the subsidiary goals.
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24. Subsidiary and temporary goals.
Subsidiary, temporary goals open the road to main goal of life (02010309) |
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02010310
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What is the significance of the goals of society?Main goal of life is that goal, the existence of which justifies the life of man as a whole, as subject, standing somewhere comparable to the society, being aware of his goals as goals of man in general or as goals of this or that community of people. In the main goal of life as a logical consequence of things, a unity of goals of the endeavors of man as individual with those of the society are joined.
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25. Goals of community.
(02010310) |
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02010311
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What random occurrences play a part in determination of the goal of life?The problem of determination of goals of life in the same descendancy is the problem of choice of profession. In the formation of the goal of life “participate” as well a random occurrence as necessity or external circumstances and internal incentives and motives.
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26. External circumstances and internal incentives and motives.
(02010311) |
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02010312
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Creating something new as a goal of life.Usually under the goal of life is understood the goal that one sets in the framework of professional, creative activity, which guides him to the direction of creating new, earlier non-existent, new material or spiritual goods or values.
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27. Creating something new.
(02010312) |
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02010313
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Why is the creation of new life as a goal of life considered also under love?As a matter of fact, if we start from the idea that the goal of life consists not only in creative activity, but also in love, the creation of life, one must set in front of himself at least two goals of life. One is the goal that considers the materialization of love, creation of life. It is unavoidable, that is, everybody independing of anything must set the goal of founding a family, the house of love, give birth to children and educate them. Without this there is no continuation of species, continuation of the human life. The other goal of life is professional, creative activity of man.
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28. Creation of new life.
...founding a family, the house of love, and professional, creative activity (02010313) |
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02010314
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Are several goals of life possible?Yes and in the creative activity it is usual that man does not stay in the choice of some one goal of life. Clear example: two lifes of A.P. Borodin as composer and scientist in chemistry.
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29. Two carriers of life.
(02010314) |
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02010315
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Can goal of life be a categorical imperative?If goal is set, it becomes the law of activity, categorical imperative, necessity, under which man subordinates his will.
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30. Goal as categorical imperative.
(02010315) |
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02010316
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In this way we see two sides of living activity: setting of goal (searching of goal, choice of goal) and orientation towards goal (consciousness of goal, movement to goal, better: from goal to result). Both sides are equally important for man. |
31. Setting the goal and and orienting to it.
(02010316) |
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02010317
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Coment on 'Life in some sense is a totality of goal and being without goal'.Understanding the importance of goal and the setting of goal and oritentation towards goal combined with it must not, however, be absolutized. Life in some sense is a totality of having a goal and being without goal, that is a unity of being organized and not being it, of work and leisure, tension and relaxation. Being without goal is realized above all in the fact that besides the main goal of life there is a multitude of subsidiary goals. Searching and realization of subsidiary goal (and along with it relaxation from the main goal) may be interpreted as being without goal. It is said that one must not work all time, think only one thing, that it is necessary to relax, step out, rest, leave tension aside, go over to different activity. It is not by chance that modern man gives ever more attention to subsidiary activities, hobbies, being intuitively conscious that the tension of work, main goal of life, may simply destroy him.
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32. Relax!
Life in some sense is a totality of having a goal and being without goal. (02010317) |
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02010318
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Can there be rational action outside the goal of life?Attention must also be paid to the fact that human life is not always running on the level of setting goal and realizing it. Man can fulfil rational action, without attention to goalsetting, just intuitively, impusively. For instance, necessity to rest, sleep may be ‘realized’ in the spirit of the goal (looking for place where to stay overnight etc.) or immediately – man falling asleep in metro. Or such an example: when man happens to touch a hot thing without noticing, he withdraws quickly – here a completely rational action, but no goalsetting and without consciously striving to the goal.
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33. Rational action outside the goal.
... touch a hot thing without noticing, withdraw quickly. (02010318) |
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02010319
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When does a necessity to set goal emerge?When does a necessity to set goal emerge? Most probably when between the necessity and satisfying if there is some obstacle (not very big, but also not quite small) or for the satisfaction of the need complicated orientative action is needed.
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34. When to set goal?
... if there is some obstacle... or complicated orientative action is needed. (02010319) |
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020104 |
Does the lifetime increase or diminish by aging? |
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02010401
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Life goes on as long as you are not satisfied with it.L.B. Lebedinskaya |
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02010402
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Does the life time increase or diminish along with years?Life in certain sense may be compared with a glass of water. Different people appreciate it in different ways the fullness of the glass. Optimist says: the glass is half full, while pessimist constates: the glass is half empty. So is life. Does the life time increase or diminish along with years? Some people feel that along with aging life time increases, widens. And really, the word age (in Russian «возраст» means increase) shows that the life time increases. Some people are of the opinion that the life time decreases, as the magic skin of Chagrin (peau de Chagrin [in Balzac’s novel]). Because the farther we are of the birth, the closer is the death: the more we live, the less is left to live.
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35. Life as a glass of water.
(02010402) |
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02010403
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Some people say: he is not old who is far from cradle, but he who is near the tomb. (from broadcast play). |
36. Who is old?
(02010403) |
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02010404
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Some people think as A.S. Pushkin in a moment of grievance said:The days fly one after the other,
and every hour takes away a piece of being. |
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02010405
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Comment on: 'Every hour of life enjoyed with pleasure, not only physically increases the life time, but also defeats death, is a step towards immortality.'On one hand, every hour, really takes away a piece of being, if we think that every hour brings us closer to death, shortens our life like the magic skin. But from the other point of view every hour also adds a piece of life, increases life time, if we calculate beginning from the birth. Every hour of life enjoyed with pleasure, not only physically increases the life time, but also defeats death, is a step towards immortality.
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37. Step towards immortality.
(02010405) |
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02010406
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Hurry without rushing. What does it mean?In the light of what has been said becomes understandable the saying of Biant, one of the seven wise of Greece: “Life must be measured so that both little and much of it remained” (Diogenes Laertius, p. 81). As a matter of fact, on one hand, we must hurry on to live, do things, remembering that there is a limit for life (and all things included). On the other, one must set and reach big, long lasting goals, and also do everything comprehensively, with feeling, rationally, orderly, as it is said, hurry without rushing.
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38. Hurry without rushing.
(02010406) |
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02010407
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Our ancestors – are they young or old? |
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02010408
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Old world – younger or older than ours?Are we younger or older than our ancestors? Are the ancestors older or younger than we? Old world – was it younger or older as compared to ours?
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39. Old world – younger or older than ours?
(02010408) |
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02010409
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On which condition we can be considered stronger than our ancestors?This question enlightens the problem: does there happen progress in life or degradation? If we look ancient as young and mature, and us as old and growing decrepit, it is clear that we are degrading and moving towards the end. If ancient are considered as young and us as grown-ups, matured, it means that we are stronger than our ancestors.
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40. Progress or degradation?
(02010409) |
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02010410
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Ancestors wiser than we or we wiser than ancestors?This question has such side of rationality: are ancestors wiser than we or we wiser than our ancestors, know more than they? Believers, who consider Bible as a holy writing, willing not willing, to occupy the position that ancestors are wiser than we, know more than we etc.
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41. Ancestors wiser than we or we wiser than ancestors?
(02010410) |
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0202 |
On the problem of death and immortality |
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02020001
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Human life is expressed in its relation to ending and unending.
I.A. Bunin |
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020201 |
Mortality and immortality |
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02020101
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What is understood by 'mutual enabling'?In the living nature and in the human society the link between the ending and unending acquires the character of mutual enabling. This is seen plainly in the example of mutual relationships of mortality and immortality.
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42. Mutual enabling: mortality and immortality.
(02020101) |
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02020102
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In the chrystallic body itself there is no program for its termination. What does it mean?Originally living organism appeared sooner in its temporary, transitory terminating and unterminating than mutually enabling form. In division of most simple monocellular organisms we are seeing some undivision or immediate transition from terminating to unterminating (terminating not yet differentiating clearly enough from unterminating; individual and kind not yet being separated from each other. Division of monocellular organism is simply its multiplication, copying, repeating). Nonetheless the division already shows basic features of proliferation - great struggle for life. We take as comparison chrystallic body and living monocellular organism. The former persists only thanks to the strength of chemical links between its 'parts', the atoms.
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02020103
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In the chrystallic body itself there is no program for its termination. What does it mean?Disturbing action of environment at once or gradually demolishes the chrystallic body, finishes, brings to the end its existence. The finality of chrystallic body, thus is not under the control of itself, outside it. If there is no disturbing action of environment, then such a body may exist infinitely long time, almost eternally. On the other side, it is completely defenceless in front of outside environment and its existence may stop at any moment. In the chrystallic body itself there is no program for its termination, self-destruction, transition to other body. Chemical link, thanks to which it exists, is ’directed’ only to conserving, to ’chemical immortality’. Ending and unending happen for being of the chrystallic body, although the parts are depending on each other, they are sufficiently indifferent as to each other as counterparts.
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43. Disturbing action of environment.
(02020103) |
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02020104
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Plasticity of living organisms. What does it mean?Something quite different we will see in living organisms. A program for their termination is in themselves. If the chemical tie of chrystallic bodies aims only to their conservation in existence, so the chemical processes taking place inside living organism aim, not only at its conservation in existence, but at its transition to other organism, and even to its death, destruction, dissolution - in case of multicellular organisms. The time point of termination of living organism is programmed in the organism itself: the termination is thus present in the interminable, makes it possible. This is one part of relationships between terminable and interminable being combined with the existence. Another consists of the fact that living organism, even if it terminates itself, conserves its immortality, makes itself immortal; this happens thanks to reproduction of species. According to descriptive expression of the American D. Mezia 'thanks to the proliferation of cells life shrewdly circumvents the tooth of time and at the same time as a double price instead of one two appear' (F004).
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44. Plasticity of living organisms.
A program for their termination is in themselves. Even if it terminates itself, it makes itself immortal. ...thanks to the proliferation of cells life shrewdly circumvents the tooth of time (02020104) |
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02020105
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In what way does the 'life' or chrystallic body differ from the life of living organism?A good expression: ’get around the finger of time’! With its multiplication the organism in a way anticipates the destroying action of time, effectuates a breakthrough to immortality. Chrystallic body is a toy in the ’hands’ of natural elements, its lifetime completely depends of the whims of the environment. Living organism, containing in itself ending, changeability, has obtained the possibility to accomodate itself to changing conditions of environment and in this way secure itself against them. It laid its own limits of existence, but so that its end coincides with the beginning of an organism alike it, being its daughter. The latter continues the ’business’ of adapting to the changing conditions of environment and thus until eternity. Living organism, this way, enjoys plasticity, which is completely inexistent with chrystallic body.
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45. Breakthrough to immortality.
By multiplication the organism in a way anticipates the destroying action of time. (02020105) |
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02020106
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What about the 'immortality' of chrystallic bodies?Chrystallic body does not know how to reproduce itself and therefore it is inappropriate to speak of the immortality of the kind with it. Its ’life’ is completely limited by the ’individual’ existence. Life of the organism is indivisible in the life of the kind. Its caducity is in a way neutralized, taken away in the immortality of the kind. On the other hand the latter is possible only at the presence of separate organisms.
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46. Reproduction.
Life of the organism is indivisible in the life of the kind. Its caducity (death) is taken away in the immortality of the kind. (02020106) |
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02020107
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 Further, if we look carefully into the living organism, we will see that for monocellular organisms which are reproduced by mitotic division, the counterpositioning of unterminating and terminating existence are not so sharply expressed, as that of multicellular organisms which are multiplied by sexual means. (Above I already spoke about how originally living appeared sooner in temporary form of terminating and unterminating than in their mutual enabling form which presupposes sharp expression of these both as opposite forms). Of the finality of existence of monocellular may not be spoken as their mortality. One without the other does not exist. If no mortality, then also no immortality. Correspondingly also their immortality in a strict sense may not be spoken. For immortality is the opposite of mortality. One without the other does not exist. If there is no mortality, then neither is there immortality. We do not speak of the destruction of chrystal body as its death and indefinitely of the necessity of existence of body as its immortality. |
47. Biotic division.
Of the finality of existence of monocellular may not be spoken as their mortality. One without the other does not exist. If no mortality, then also no immortality. Correspondingly also their immortality in a strict sense may not be spoken. (02020107) |
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02020108
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Of course, also monocellular organisms get lost, if their environment is unfortunate. But their disappearance is not death in the strict sense of this word. In them there is no 'mechanism', program for dying, death, as this may be seen in multicellular organisms. The latter are in all environmental circumstances programmed to die. Monocellulars are programmed only to division, multiplication and if they die, then only in unfavorable changes of environmental conditions. C. Lamont justly writes: 'Death is not necessary or general phenomenon; it appeared after living creatures reached certain progres in the process of evolution. Different monocellular organisms have existed and exist - amaebas, swamps, sea roses, for which there is no intrinsic olderdom or death; they are destroyed only as a consequence of external occurrences - attac of enemies or particularly unfavorable environment. These minuscule organisms are multiplied by division of body: one individual becomes two, and after this there is nothing that would resemble dead body. Such division could continue infinitely' (F005). About this same writes the Russian scientist V.M. Dilman: 'Theoretically some simplest monocellular organisms are immortal, because after each division of such being exist two completely similar daughter siblings, having all properties of the original organism. In favorable circumstances the process of continuous division may continue without limit... If this property were only observed at one kind of simple or even one branch then this would be grounds for corroborating, that theoretically life exists without intrinsic reason for death at certain favorable external conditions' (F006). V. M. Dilman reminds of a verified experiment of division during 84000 generations as a token of the possibility of limitless process continuing division. But life itself shows us that on every step. At present time on the Earth exist and florish many monocellular organisms that began divide, multiply themselves billions of years ago. They do not know death as a matter! They divide and divide practically infinitely, as long as the favourable environmental conditions exist. |
48. Multiplication by division.
Some monocellular organisms have existed and exist - amaebas, swamps, sea roses, for which there is no intrinsic olderdom or death (02020108) |
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02020109
|
Why is it important to make difference between 'demolition' and 'death'?In the light of what has been said I would like to pay special attention to the necessity of strict definitions of the concepts of ’demolition’ and ’death’. Not everything that is demolished deserves the denomination of death, and vice versa, not everything that dies is demolished. Strictly speaking, death means termination of the living activities of multicellular organism as a result of united action of inner and outer factors of life (natural development of organism and inappropriate conditions of environment). Monocellular organisms dividing mitotially, do not die, because their natural development leads to division but not to death. If their living action is terminated, it is not a result of natural development, but a consequence of infavorable outer conditions. Therefore it is appropriate to denominate the termination of their living action as demolition. Demolition is the termination of something living (or connected to it) as a consequence of outer unfavorable action. Not only separate living organisms but also everything associated with them (suborganismic formations, populations, human civilizations, nations, states), also cultural phenomenons and so on, are demolished.
|
49. Concepts of ’demolition’ and ’death’.
Demolition is the termination of something living (or connected to it) as a consequence of outer unfavorable action. (02020109) |
|
02020110
|
This way the phenomenon of mortality appears only on the state of multicellular organisms, which are multiplied by sexual way. These organisms not only are demolished, but die. Their death is determined by outer accidental causes, so also by inner conditions of existence that give reason to look them as necessary moment of ending the life of multicellular organisms. ’Does it really deserve to show, writes V.M. Dilman, that the elimination of outer reasons of diseases does not save the higher organisms from death. For each kind of organisms there is a characteristically determined limit of the length of life. Rat does not live more than four years, elephant not more than 80, and nobody has ever observed that rat had lived longer than what is norm for elephant. The elimination of the outer disfavourable conditions can only lead to the case that the length of life of an individual coincides with the specific limit of the kind. Thus, as the average human length of life is now 70 years, so the specific limit … is considered to be equal of 120 years. Up till now only some representatives of the majority of organisms reach the specific limits of life.’ (F007). |
50. Mortality only in multicellular organisms.
These organisms not only are demolished, but die. Their death is determined by outer accidental causes and by inner conditions of existence. There is a limit of the length of life for them. Length of life, specific to the species. (02020110) |
|
02020111
|
The programmed nature of death. What does it mean?The programmed nature of death with the higher organisms intermittently shows this fact. Specific organisms with the power of some inherited anomalies go through the life cycle in an accelerated manner and die much earlier than those born at the same point of time. The Hungarian king Lájos II at the age of 14 years had such a mighty beard, and at 18 years it became gray. In 30 years of age Lájos died with all signs of deep old age. Medical annales know cases, where newly born have appeared as old persons. Individual development of multicellular organism leads him as a rule to death.
|
51. The programmed nature of death.
(02020111) |
|
02020112
|
Can death be abolished?Death as a programmed end is a result of evolution of life and it is not excluded that man changing in a corresponding way his genetic program, might abolish death. It undeniably brings in itself an embryo of change, reformulation, not only of death, but even more of demolition. (F008).
|
52. Death is not unavoidable.
(02020112) |
|
02020113
|
Immortality of kind vs. mortality of individual?The appearance of death as a phenomenon of terminating the life brought greater differentiation (greater contradictions) of ending and unending. Mortality of separate biologic individuals and immortality of kind are in a known sense striking contradictions. On one hand, a great differentiation of ending and unending of existence has been followed by deepening of their mutual enabling, enabling ties between them. Sexual reproduction plays a role in this enabling. It, on one hand, brings in contradiction the organism and the kind (ending and unending), and on the other, appears as a binding link between them.
|
53. Individual vs. kind (species).
(02020113) |
|
02020114
|
What is the significance of sexual reproduction for immortality?The contradictory role of the sexual reproduction consists of the fact that, firstly, it renders unnecessay the individual ’immortality’ of the organism, and secondly, with the sexual reproduction the organism does not completely replicate itself in the following generation, does not become exactly the same, consequently does not conserve itself completely. The finality, particularity, individuality of a certain organism appears in this case more distinctly, more sharply, more naked.
|
54. Sexual reproduction.
(02020114) |
|
02020115
|
In what way is the sexual reproduction a uniting link between mortality and immortality?The role of reproduction as uniting link consists of the fact that it makes then organism generally more apt to immortality and to a much greater extent than was the case with dividing organisms. Continuation of the kind is real biological immortality of higher organisms. In it we see a continuous transition of ending to unending, and unending to ending, and in such a way that neither ending nor unending does perish, but conserve as moments of this transition. In a purely ending existence there is no continuation of the kind, not more than there is no purely unending existence.
|
55. Reproduction as uniting link.
Continuation of the kind is real biological immortality of higher organisms. (02020115) |
|
| |
———— |
|
02020117
|
In a human society a further deepening of mutual enabling of ending and unending proceeds. The problem of mortality and immortality is recognized and solved as one of the most difficult problems of human existence. C. Lamont writes about this as follows: |
|
02020118
|
’All people are mortal’ - ’Socrates is human’ - ’consequently Socrates is mortal’. - an example of complete reasoning. What about the immortality of soul?’’All people are mortal’ with these words begins the most famous syllogism, and continues as follows: ’Socrates is human’ and ’consequently Socrates is mortal’. A branch of philosophy, known by the name logics presented this syllogism as an example of complete reasoning, nonetheless philosophy, as a whole, waisted very much time and a mass of energy on researching what is the real and full meaning of this syllogism… The essence of the question is the following: how seriously we must relate to the saying that Socrates and people are mortal? For there exists a contrary saying that people and Socrates are immortal or at least immortal that what we call their personality or souls. As a matter of fact Socrates himself, if we believe in Plato’s Dialogue, was one of the first philosophers to present the hypothesis of immortality of the soul.
|
56. All people are mortal.
Socrates himself was one of the first philosophers to present the hypothesis of immortality of the soul. (02020118) |
|
02020119
|
Is man mortal or immortal?We will present the question differently: when people die, which, as everybody must consent, really happens with us, do they really die, that is do they remain dead? Or, as it is formulated by Job: ’If a man dies, will he be again living?’ There can be no doubt that this problem of death or secret of death has been one of the first and main stimuli of philosophic research. Again particularly Socrates, according to Plato’s dialogue ’Phaedon’, called philosophy the speculation of death, that, more simply expressed, means thinking whether man is mortal or immortal’. (F009).
|
57. Mortality of man.
Socrates: philosophy - the speculation whether man is mortal or immortal’. (02020119) |
|
02020120
|
Many philosophers connect the problem of mortality and immortality to the problem of the idea of life. And this is justified, because the given problem puts people, willing or unwilling, to think life as a whole. |
|
02020121
|
What is ment by saying: Death is not quite outside the life, although it is contrary to it?Life, death, immortality are one continuity. And if life is the opposite of death, and death as that of immortality, then, consequently, life and immortality are the same essence. From this conclusion we can see, that immortality is not a category of other world beyond the life, but inherent to it. On the other hand, death (as we explained earlier) is not quite outside the life, although it is contrary to it. It is justified to say so: life constitues and allows the contradiction between mortality and immortality. In this formula there is a general solution of the problem of mortality and immortality.
|
58. Life, death, immortality are one continuity.
Life constitues and allows the contradiction between mortality and immortality. In this formula there is a general solution of the problem of mortality and immortality. (02020121) |
|
02020122
|
Immortality of soul, what consequences should it have in life?The point of view that puts mortality and immortality as opposites of each other, considers them as insubstitutable, impossible to be united, in the final account paralyzes the will and sense of people or leaves them in the stalemate. As a matter of fact, one who denies the mortality and believes in personal immortality (immortality of soul), at the same time denies the value of real life, as if saying, the coexistence of soul and body. But one who considers that man is only mortal, endeavors to live one day, not considering of future, not considering of improving the life in general, because for him only the concept of his concrete, given life exists.
|
59. Mortality and immortality as opposites of each other.
(02020122) |
|
02020123
|
I have taken extreme cases, but they barely show, to what may lead the contrapositioning of mortality and immortality, absolution of one of sides of this contradiction of life. |
|
0203 |
Life versus death |
|
02030001
|
Free man thinks nothing as little as of death,
his bravery consists of thinking not of death, but of life.B. Spinoza Ethics |
|
020301 |
Death as absolute |
|
02030101
|
If we accept the position that man is only mortal, then this leads to different kind of absurd conclusions and dangerous decisions. It leads direct to double kind of egoism and self-isolation. But this is not yet the utmost consequence of thinking mortality. |
|
020302 |
The logics of manslaughter
(mental absolutization of death) |
|
02030201
|
What is the danger of thinking that man is only mortal?If one thinks continuously of death (the brain is ticking in the thought of this), then one can at the beginning come to the idea of futility of life, and then to the idea of suicide and as a matter of fact one can kill himself. (So, by the way, also happens in some cases, when a man consciously takes the position of dying, accepts the idea of the unavoidability of death, does nothing to sustain his living. Man can even convince himself that he is dying and this conviction becomes with time so strong that the death really arrives. Cases have been described when in the USA a criminal sentenced to death died. At the time when the criminal sat to the stool, the electric current was not connected because of a failure in the net, but the death came however! (F010) )
|
60. Unavoidability of death.
(02030201) |
|
02030202
|
One may say that the thought of death is only a thought. Yes, of course, the idea of death and death are not the same thing. Notwithstanding it may, if the man concentrates on it, turn out fatal for him. |
|
02030203
|
C.P. Korolenko and G.V. Frolov are writing: ”German psychiatrist, professor Wolf, for instance, has introduced the idea of ’psychogenic suicide’, when we speak of completely inexplainable death of physically healthy, but mentally depressed person, tired to fight with complicated psychologic situations… |
|
02030204
|
A grown-up person, too concentrated to own misery and misfortune, can possess a chronically hard mood and chronical depression that some researchers describe as chronical suicide: thinking constantly of death, wishing it to come as a liberation of difficulties, man loses his appetite, taste of life, ceases to follow his condition of health. A condition emerges, a woodoo like death, man suffers hunger, gets bored, suffers insomnia, is vomiting without reason, continuously all functions of body are oppressed, body organs one after the other get in malfunction… Man is striving towards death - and dies.’ (F011). |
61. Death as a liberation of difficulties.
(02030204) |
|
02030205
|
As a matter of fact the thought of mortality of death does not lead to anything else but to real death |
|
02030206
|
To what consequences may the introduction of the idea of mortality lead?Introduction to the rank of philosophic concepts the idea of mortality, frailty, finality of the human existence leads to the conception of irrationalism of life, to the vanity of all human effort. Characteristic in this respect is the biblical prophesy called Ecclesiast: ’
|
|
02030207
|
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? (Ecclesiast 3, 19-20). |
|
02030208
|
This quote of Ecclesiast some preachers of christian religion accepted and interpreted it in the sense that the rapidly flowing human life on the Earth has no value in it and he must therefore aim to an eternal life beyond the grave. Rather illustrative is the teaching of orthodox actor V. Guryev, who has included in his book ’Teachings for the guidance of life of the blessed hermit Serafim’ (M. 1904). He writes: ’Contemplation of death is redeeming and useful’. Particularly important, according to him, are the four ’usefulnesses’:- 'Contemplation of death takes the human off the sins.'
- 'This way man worships god.'
- 'It teaches the man to look his earthen life as a life of temporary and rapidly vanishing, teaches to look at its blessing, as perishable and vain, body as a dungeon of soul.'
- 'He who all time prepares to death, learns the means to die successfully...'
Further this theologian teaches: ’After you have learnt to live on the Earth, councels father to son. You have learnt to die well, must be counceled to Christian’.These teachings could be qualified as a primer to unequalled alienation of life, but above all in them there is more self-deception and hypocricy, than honest hostility towards the life on earth. |
|
02030209
|
The orthodox theologian is not original. More than two thousand years before him Socrates according to Plato expressed similar thoughts. ’But to you, my judges, he said, I want now explain, why, according to my opinion, man who really dedicated life to philosophy, in front of death full of courage and hope to find beyond the tomb the greatest blessings. (…)
Those who have authetically devoted themselves to philosphy, have occupied themselves with only one thing, dying and death. People, as a rule, do not pay notice on this, but if it were this way, it would be absurd to devote the whole life only to this, and then when it happens, not be able to it after so long waiting and training!’ (Faidon, 63e-64a).
Elsewhere he explains: ’…honest philosophers abandon all wishes of body, restrain themselves and under no condition accept it, not fearing devastation and poverty differing from the majority which love themselves’ (82c).
’He who takes care of ones soul and does not groom the body, grows with all these desires’ (82d).
’To those who strive to knowledge, is well known this: when philosophy takes care of their soul, the soul is tightly connected to body and is sticking to it, being obliged to look at and penetrate vitally to oneself, and through the body, literally through the prison bars and get stained with the deepest barbarism…’ (82e) (F012) |
62. Authetically devoted philosphers: only dying and death.
(02030209) |
|
02030210
|
To what kind of consequences may constant remembering of death may lead?And all people often, concentrating their thoughts to the unavoidableness of death, come to the unpromising conclusion about the vanity of their efforts, various pessimistic solutions. Even such a strong person and profound thinker as Lev Tolstoy, has experienced minutes of pessimism and weakmindedness attracted by these ideas. Here is what I.I. Mechnikov writes: ’When Tolstoy pursued by the fear of death asked himself, whether family love calms his soul, he at once saw, that this is a vain hope. Why, he asked himself, grow children, who soon find oneselves in the same position as their father?’ Further Mechnikov quotes Tolstoy: ’Why to live?’ Why should I love them, grow them and guard them? Why despair, which is in me or dullness? Loving them I cannot hide from them the truth, every step leads them to the knowledge of this truth. And the truth is death’. Mechnikov comments: ’It is understandable that some people having come to such pessimistic view, refrain from producing posterity’ (F013)
|
63. Constant remembering of death: unwillingness to produce posterity.
(02030210) |
|
02030211
|
You see, how Tolstoy turned the question: ’death is truth’. A truly killing phrase! But this is exactly the issue, that death is not the whole truth, but consequently a half-lie. |
64. ’death is truth’?
But death is not the whole truth, but consequently a half-lie. (02030211) |
|
02030212
|
Why must the idea of mortality be expelled?Bitter reasoning of Tolstoy and Mechnikov’s comments reveal still one important side of the question: pure thoughts of death, mortality of man are incompatible with family love, producing of children, do not correspond reality. And still: production of posterity, continuation of the kind is, as I already said, a breakthrogh in immortality, this is real, factual unification of finality and endlessness of existence. Naturally, the idea of pure mortality (’only mortality’) of man resists that unification and in separate cases, as I.I. Mechnikov points out, actually interferes it. Therefore it is necessary to expell this idea away as harmful and dangerous for man.
|
65. No compatibility with family love.
Pure thoughts of death, mortality of man are incompatible with family love, producing of children, do not correspond reality. Therefore this idea must be repudiated as harmful and dangerous for man. (02030212) |
|
02030213
|
I.I. Mechnikow brings also the opinion of some actors about the vanity of scientific research and discoveries, because they do not find ’other final solution as offers of burial destruction’. He writes: |
|
02030214
|
’When in a dispute about its (of science – L.B.) bankruptcy Sh. Roshe presents well-doing medication for diphteria as proof of the power of scientific discoveries, Brunettier answers to him: ’Seroterapy does not prevent us dying, and furthermore, does not teach us why we die’. Always we will return to the question of death. Does it pay to medicate against diphteritis a child, doomed to become adult, in order to learn of unavoidableness of death, which must fill him with fear?’ |
|
02030215
|
Metchnikov continues commenting: |
|
02030216
|
’If science is powerless to solve the most important tasks, which torment humanity, if it refuses from it because of the lack of knowledge, if it does not find other final solution than proposing burial destruction, then it is easy to understand, that many, even the most distinct brains turn away from it. Desire to find some consolation to the sufferings of our existence without defined Purposes redirects them to the embracing of religion and metaphysics. That is why for the modern humanity, undoubtedly, it is characteristic a strive back to religion. People sink to mysticism, thinking that it gives an answer less dismal than destruction, inexistence’ (F014). |
|
02030217
|
What is the effect of 'burial destruction' on scientific creativity?As we will see, here there is the same motive as in the judgment of Tolstoy. Only this time we speak not of family love and production of posterity, but of scientific creativity. Why create, break one’s brain, experiment, if anyway us awaits burial destruction?! An idea of pure mortality also here is directed to unification of finality and endlessness of existence. For scientific research, just as family love, allows contradiction between mortality and immortality, makes man immortal.
|
66. Creativity and immortality.
(02030217) |
|
02030218
|
What can be the ultimate consequences of death and immortality?The last comment of Mechnikov is interestin because in it is clearly shown whereto may lead the contraposition of death and immortality. Either a full destruction and then everything is absurd or faith in otherworld immortality – here is nothing but a barter of extremeness against extremeness. From the beginning we bring to the absurd the idea of death, compare it to complete destruction, and then throw it aside, refusing from all rational explanation and throw ourselves to the embracing of religion and mysticism, which promise us an otherworld immortality.
|
67. Otherworld immortality.
(02030218) |
|
02030219
|
Thus in ideas of death, mortality is its own, peoplekilling logics, poisoning the consciousness of man, preventing him live, love and create. These ideas are poisonous not only in their logics, but also in their emotional strength. They lie as the fundament of such emontional conditions as fear of death and despair. In these conditions, true, there is no direct striving to death. Nonetheless they kill, rapidly or slowly, depending on their strength. |
68. Peoplekilling logics.
(02030219) |
|
020303 |
Fear of death and despair
(emotional absolution of death) |
|
02030301
|
Fear of death is worse than death
proverb |
|
02030302
|
Why a strong fear of death is harmful?At once we reserve a moderate dosis of fear of death as necessary for man. That kind of fear would better be called anxiety, aversion of death. Anxiety, aversion of death emerges from our natural instinct of self-defence. But fear of death is exaggerated, hypertrophic oversensitivity of the danger of death. It is also harmful, pernicious, as also passive acceptance or strive towards the death. This is the case where they say: extremes meet. One who is experiencing a strong fear of death exposes almost being in similar danger as one desiring it. ’Utmost horror, writes C. Lamont, may paralyze a person, deprive his ability to speak or cause strong heartbeat; after earthquakes men and women are found without any kind of injuries’ (F015). It is said: big eyes out of fear. Really, on the basis of fear lies an exaggerated conception of the almightiness of death, about the fact that life is something rather frail, pitiful, powerless in comparison with His Majesty of Death.
|
69. Aversion of death.
Anxiety, aversion of death emerges from our natural instinct of self-defence. But fear of death is exaggerated, hypertrophic oversensitivity of the danger of death. (02030302) |
|
02030303
|
What is meant by the term ‘Woodoo death’?Still more profound emotional state, suppressing all will, all resistance is despair (feeling of complete hopelessness). In scientific literature not seldomly are described cases being mentioned as ‘Woodoo deaths’.
|
70. ‘Woodoo deaths’.
(02030303) |
|
02030304
|
‘In this phenomenon, write T.P. Korolenko and G.V. Frolov, are interested many research workers; the reason of death had only psychological colouring. Researchers have noticed that Australian aborigins, having found out that on them there was a course or sorcery because they violated some important taboo, reacted with strong symptoms of panics, going over to despair, denying all action, turning to apathy. This state brought afore death. |
71. Apathy and death.
(02030304) |
|
02030305
|
What is the meaning of ‘as long as I have got hope, I breath’?(…) Richter assumed that reason to them (woodoo deaths / L.B.) was not fear but hopelessness (precisely hopelessness, some researchers confirm, become also reasons of death of many people who suffer scarceness of water etc. Latin saying ‘as long as I breath, I have hope’, corresponds to truth and it can also be said ‘as long as I have got hope, I breath’).
|
72. ‘As long as I breath, I have hope’.
(02030305) |
|
02030306
|
In what way can autosuggestion lead to despair and death?(…) Death, as a result of expecting death is no rarity even today… It is possible that people living on the fringe of superstitious environment, mechanism of expecting death can be considerably strong. It is possible that the process of ‘autosuggestion’ (self-hypnosis) changes vitally important philosophic mechanisms, as a result happens violation of the centre of vegetative nerve systems. It is characteristic that the results in pathologic anatomistic research in such cases indicate symptoms of possible paralysis… It is understood that not the supertitiousness does serve starting shock, but strengthened emotions of fear, are long time feeling of uneasiness, threat. And even the fear itself immediately in front of some reasons, but frustrations, such situations, in which emerge strong conviction that all is vain, no rescue exists’ (F016)
|
73. Death as a result of autosuggestion.
(02030306) |
|
02030307
|
About the harmfulness of psychologic attitude which is the ground of despair, wrote the French doctor Alain Bombard. He introduced special research of causes of demolition of those who have suffered shipwreck. This is what we read in his book ‘Outside the border of one’s will’: |
74. Shipwreck deaths
The case of Titanic (02030307) |
|
02030308
|
‘Every year fifty thousand people perish, when already in saving boats. Could not anything be done for their rescue? If yes, what? I started counting legendary tales of those experienced shipwreck, but judging on him, all fighting seemed to be hopeless, and all hope absurd. |
|
02030309
|
(...) 19120414 ocean steamer Titanic collided with iceberg. After some hours Titanic sank. First vessels arrived to the spot of catastrophy in three hours after the moment the steamer sank below the surface, but in saving boats there were already many dead and gone mad. It is to be noted that among those gone mad out of their panic kind of fear, was not an only child less than ten years of age. These children were still in a state of reasonable age. |
|
02030310
|
Similar examples fortified my intuitive persuasion that moral factor plays a decisive role. Statistical data that corroborate that 90 % of the victims perish within three first days that follow the shipwreck, stayed remarkably reasonable. For in order to die of hunger or thirst much longer time! |
|
02030311
|
When the ship goes down, it seems to man that with the ship goes to the bottom the whole world, when two floor boards go away from him, at the same time with them all his manhood and all his reasonableness. And even if he finds a rescue boat, he is not yet saved. Because he perishes in it without movement, frightened by his misfortune. Because he no more lives. Surrounded by the night time dust, frightened by the currents of water and wind, shivering on the bottomless, fearing both the noise and the silence, he in some three days perishes to death. |
|
02030312
|
The victims of legendary shipwrecks, perished prematurely, I know: you were killed not by sea, not by hunger, not thirst! Rocking on the waves under the shrill squeaking of gulls you were killed by fear. |
|
02030313
|
So, it became completely obvious to me that multitude of those who have suffered shipwreck die long before physical and physiologic conditions, in which they occur, become really perilous. |
75. Psychic causes.
Completely obvious that multitude of those who have suffered shipwreck die long before physical and physiologic conditions become really perilous. (02030313) |
|
02030314
|
How to fight despair, which kills more certainly and rapidly than any physical lacks?’ (F017). |
|
02030315
|
Having sailed on a sailing boat over the Atlantic Ocean without food and water supplies, A. Bombard showed that even in the most desperate conditions it is possible to fight successfully for life. |
|
02030316
|
His experience was repeated in four expeditions Bulgarian mariners Doncho and Julie Papazov. In the book ’With ’Dju’ over the Pacific Ocean’ Doncho Papazov more than once remarked that a fight with frightening, fear, despair was a precondition of survival in extreme conditions. He wrote for example: |
76. Doncho and Julie Papazov.
(02030316) |
|
02030317
|
What was the Papazov experience about the fear?I was many times asked: ‘But were you not afraid?’ And I had always difficulty in answering. I cannot confirm that fear was unknown to me. I cannot either explain, how it can be overcome with the strength of will. Supress. Kill it, distinctly and clearly recognizing that creeping into mind the fear, it began betray Purpose, efforts, friends. And however some people are born cowards or with years their souls are charged by fear. Others do not at all feel fear. Third group overcomes it. With us on Dju even startling was taboo. We leave it on the shore, connected with preparations to expedition and reasoning about possible bad luck and shipwrecks.’ (F018).
|
77. ‘But were you not afraid?’
(02030317) |
|
02030318
|
In one book a bold parable is presented about the hope. It was told by Alexandre Zhebrovsky, one of hero mariners, surviving the 82 day obligatory seafare on a small cutter on the ocean. Here is how author L. Naumov gives the story: |
|
02030319
|
What is the story of Alexander Zhebrovsky?‘- And who of you, children, knows old mariner Ivan Aurov? Asks Zhebrowsky…
—he was my ancestor. Old man with much sense. Told as to his son to my grandfather and this in turn to me. This story, how to say it to you, became the emblem of our family... Once comes a sailor to a wise man and says: "probably I loose my life. To such a storm we once came, Lord beware of such! I survived, however. Say to me, as you know everything: how do I survive to my olderdom?" "Alas, says the wise man, so it goes. A bucket, in it you do not get drowned."
Sails the sailor year after year. A storm more wicked than we have experienced. Nothing, survives. "What is that bucket", thinks, "that saves me from difficulties?" Out screws the cork and looks inside. But there was nothing in the bucket - empty. "So, for a time, wonders the sailor. - How did the wise man deceive me?"
To the port they came, where the wise man was living, the sailor goes to the wise man. "Why, wise man, an empty bucket to me gave? There is nothing in it". How is that so? asks the wise man. "Look youself". Looks the wise man to the bucket and says: "So, badly you look, Sir. There is one thing. It sips hope. Hope! If there is that, sailor never gets drowned. Sailor can everything loose, but not hope he must not loose. With it a sailor survives any storm, be it whatever storm, sailor must always have hope left, that everything turns out okay. It saves from all evil. So it is!
Greatly pleased my grandfather Ivan Aurov of this story, and he decided then as follows: in our sailor family this hope will always live. And how it happened? In our family nobody has died on sea, and all have been sailors, lived to the olderdom, so my grandfather's father, my grandfather, my father. That was it. So, hope you must never loose (F019).
|
|
02030320
|
It is not just by chance that here are accounts of people, having been in extreme conditions and being saved with honor from the trial. These are competent utterances. In them there is a firm conviction that fear of death and despair, these emotional absolutions of death, are harmful, dangerous, pernicious to people. |
78. Emotional absolutions of death are harmful, dangerous, pernicious.
(02030320) |
|
02030321
|
In the 20th century absolution of death like an infection has haunted culture. It became one of phenomenons of anticulture. Look about this later on page 298. |
|
02030322
|
* * * |
|
02030323
|
And so, man is not purely mortal being. Although he knows that he will some time die, he continuously pushes this thought of death to the background of the consciousness and thinks, basically, of life, of what he is doing and of what he will be doing. |
|
02030324
|
Pushing to the background the fear of death, what is the replacement?Pushing to the background the thought of death, man, naturally, draws to the foreground of the consciousness the thought of endless existence, that is, factually, of immortality. And this is reasonable. For many things in the life man does considering long time, indefinitely long time existence of oneself and even more the fruits of one’s doings, of what he gave the birth, what he created, continues to produce (children, material and spiritual values). S.J. Marshak has a poem, which wonderfully gives the remarkable property of man, his unquenchable living optimism:
|
79. Pushing to the background the thought of death.
...man, naturally, draws to the foreground of the consciousness the thought of endless existence, that is, of immortality. (02030324) |
|
02030325
|
But man is doomed to remain dismal
He must know of death warrant,
Signed, when he was born.
But recognizing rapidness of lifeflow,
He lives so, however,
As if he would live for ever,
And this world belongs to him. |
80. Unquenchable living optimism.
(02030325) |
|
02030326
|
How does the term of 'premature death' hint towards immortality?We are considering this question. From the point of view of pure mortality, it should be him all the same, when he dies; in the age of 20, 50 or 80 years. Also such expressions exist as ’premature death’, ’early death’ etc. They express just that death is not completely powered over life, that its occurrence, as a rule, is undesired, that in certain period of life it must not ’appear’. It means that from this point of view, man is not simply mortal.
|
81. Premature death.
(02030326) |
|
02030327
|
Which other expressions refer to the possibility of death not having an irreversible character?Still expressions exist: ‘exists on the limit of life and death, between life and death’, this of a person who is in mortal danger or, as it is also said, on the fringe of tomb. These expressions show that between life and death there is a temporary, transitional state, when man is not yet dead and practically also not more alive. To this transitional state refers, for instance, the state of clinical death, it is, death from which it is possible to return, turn back (death itself has irreversible character; irreversibility is its essential feature). Thus, thanks to the fact that a transitional state between life and death exists, doctors have the chance of saving the moribund, return him to life. By the way, doctors often use the phrase ‘will be alive’. It also point out that there is a transitional state between life and death.
|
82. Limit of life and death.
... between life and death there is a temporary, transitional state, when man is not yet dead and practically also not more alive. (02030327) |
|
02030328
|
Other type of transitional state we meet in Jack London’s story ‘Love of life’. As a result of chronic undernourishment and deep physical exhaustion the hero of the story was so helpless that an unavoidable death awaited him, if people would not come to rescue in time. |
83. Love of life.
(02030328) |
|
02030329
|
Presence of temporary, transitional state between life and death testifies that different and even controversial one to another and not only in the sense of external, but also of internal (divided in time) contrary features exist. |
|
020304 |
To live means to die? |
|
02030401
|
Why does the dying of parts of organisms mean death of the whole organism?In his material for the study "Dialectic of nature" we find at Engels such sentence: "to live means to die". It has been invented by some philosophers and scientists, started even to consider it as an example of dialectic wisdom. Among others, objectively scrutinized we are obliged to admit that this sentence of Engels is unsatisfactory of its essence and pseudodialectic. Because death (dying) is literally end, termination of life of multicellular organisms. Of the death of organism we cannot speak while still living, of the death of different tissues, organs, cells we cannot speak in this organism. These 'parts' are not independent organisms. Of the death of cells is spoken, however. But the death of cells is not the same thing as the death of the whole organism. The dissolution of albumin is neither the same as death. Because albumins do not belong to the system of living systems, they are just organic combinations, which belong to the set of living systems.
|
84. Dialectics of nature.
(02030401) |
|
02030402
|
Death is a total process, destruction of multicellular organism, which belongs to the final stage of lifework. It happens only in the conditions of total demolition of cells and total dissolution of albumin. In order that this dissolution, demolition caused the total destruction of the organism, they must reach a certain critical quantitative and qualitative significance. So proceeds the dissolution and distruction of albumin right from the beginning of the formation of multicellular organism. They are structural parts of the process of dissimulation. |
85. Death is total
... destruction of multicellular organism. (02030402) |
|
02030403
|
Engels had in mind just these dissolutions, destructions, when he said ‘to live is to die’. In its essence he used the word ‘to die’, not in the scientific sense, but in metaphoric, meaning with it any dissolution, destruction processes, connected with living function of organisms. And all using the word ‘to die’ in metaphoric sense, Engels had no right to compare life to death. Independent from his subjective intentions, from what he had in mind to do, the phrase ‘to live means to die’ contains, frankly expressed, a poisoned, destructive idea. From his point of view we are living dead bodies and all our fighting against death is absurd, because the life itself is death. What this, in essence, mockery on living nature, living people, who time to time use heroic efforts to gain victory in the fight with death! (By the way, the expression ‘fight with life’, ‘fight with death’ clearly refer to the controversy, contrarity of life and death. The formula ‘to live means to die’ lubricates this contrariety of life and death, as it destroys the obstacle that life arouses against death). |
86. ‘to live is to die’.
(02030403) |
|
02030404
|
Why, actually, I fight for the life of this patient?The Gallians had a going paraphrase: ‘do not die until you live’. In this phrase is expressed the demand of living, healthy people who are opposed to death to the last breath. But what are we seeing in the formula ‘to live means to die’? It essentially morally disarms man. Chirurgian who does an operation in order to save the life of the sick person, remembering the formula, can think: Why, actually, do I fight for the life of this patient? For he is dying anyway, if not today, then tomorrow. You cannot avoid death, how much ever you try. To live means to die. So, let be, he (the patient) dies. Why will I prevent him in this? This kind of thoughts could be blown by the Engels’s thesis.
|
87. Do not die until you live.
(02030404) |
|
02030405
|
If the hero of the story of Jack London’s ‘Love to life’ would have been orienting according to this phrase, it would probably in the mortally dangerous conditions have weakened his will to live, and he would have completely lost his desire to fight against death. |
|
02030406
|
All suicides would have been close to the formula ‘to live means to die’. In it they, truly, would find justification for striving to show exit from life. |
|
02030407
|
What does pseudodialectis mean?In the referred formula I see only pseudodialectic play in the identification of contradictions. This kind of pseudodialectics can testify and justify whatever.
|
89. Pseudodialectic play.
(02030407) |
|
02030408
|
Life contains the 'Embryo of death'. Whose idea?If we look in what context was invented the Engels phrase ‘to live means to die’, we will see that it appeared in connection with Hegel’s thesis that death is the moment of life, that the last contains in it ‘the embryo of death’. The point of view of Hegel, as we see, is rather cautious. And so is the linear phrase of Engels ‘to live means to die’.
|
90. Embryo of death.
(02030408) |
|
02030409
|
How does the dialectics of life bind birth and death together?Furthermore why actually we are emphasizing attention to the mutual connection of life and death?! Because for life as such the birth has in a smaller extent similar meaning with the death. Life as a balance; birth is one scale and death is another. Birth means beginning of individual life, death its end. From this we can see that dialectics of life, as a matter of fact, does not lead to dialectics of existence and transition to inexistence (but just this ‘dialectics’ exists in the formula ‘to live means to die’). Dialectics of life, as a matter of fact, is dialectics of birth, development, existence and death. With similar success as we speak of ‘to live means to die’ we can say ‘to live means to be born’. But from the point of view of the perspective of life (as planetary or even cosmic phenomenon) the former dialectics is more important than the latter.
|
91. Mutual connection of life and death.
(02030409) |
|
02030410
|
What is Yerofeyevs interpretation of the phrase ‘existence in front of the face of death’?I in so detailed way lingered in the formula ‘to live means to die’ because on its fundament lies the idea, which often teaches philosophers and literary authors in various alternatives. Some with dramatic pathos, others as if with cocketery. Above I presented a well-known expression ‘existence in front of the face of death’. Quite recently the author Victor Yerofeyev in a program NTV ‘Recently’ (19941015) throwed the phrase: ‘The most important is really, not to live, survive, but to age, to die’. What is this? Stupid saying by a writer or desire to astound the conventional taste with one’s nonconformism?
|
92. 'Existence in front of the face of death.'
Author Victor Yerofeyev has throwed the phrase: ‘The most important is really, not to live, survive, but to age, to die’. - What is this? Stupid saying by a writer or desire to astound the conventional taste with one’s nonconformism? (02030410) |
|
020305 |
Death is not justified
(critics of claim that death has positive value) |
|
02030501
|
What is Chekhov's attitude towards death?One of the heroes of the short story ‘Three years’ of Chekhov A.P. said: ‘No philosophy can reconcile me with death, I see it simply as perishing’. He is thousand times right and on the contrary, and wrong those philosophers who search justification for death and reason even on its positive value for life. Abstract reasoning of the kind ‘life manifests itself through death’ (F020), is completely inacceptable for humanistically thinking philosophers. These reasonings are only due to lead astray people, to disarm them morally.
|
93. ‘Three years’
(02030501) |
|
02030502
|
What is nonsense in the striving to death?All living is striving to immortality and if dying, perishes, then that not because of thirst of it, but from the power of genetic programming or concrete unfavorable conditions of life, which are very different, versatile. Philosophers and literary authors who speak of positive meaning of death, jam through, in essence, the idea of finding that we must see in death something desirable, to which one must be striving. What a nonsense! For positive for us has everything that turns out blessing. So what emerges is that death is a blessing? Reasoning so, we in the end come to preachers of the desirability of death, necessity of it and lack of necessity of efforts of fighting for life. Life and death exclude each other. If life is for us blessing then we must see its opposite as bad. (Look, by the way, how C. Lamont was mistaken in his trial to unite inconsistent things: ‘When we reach the understanding, he writes, that everything ends so we know the worst, but this worst is factually not very bad (??? – L.B.). It is so far from bad’ etc. (my italics – L.B.) (F021). As a matter of fact, how to substitute the statement of death as ‘the worst’ and how ‘factually not very bad’?!)
|
94. What a nonsense!
Philosophers and literary authors, who speak of positive meaning of death, jam through the idea of finding that we must see in death something desirable, to which one must be striving. (02030502) |
|
02030503
|
In attempts to show the naturality, necessity, usefulness and, in general, positive value of death, the most different arguments are used, arguments which by careful reasoning turn out as having been built on sand. |
95. Arguments built on sand.
Arguments in attempts to show the naturality, necessity, usefulness and positive value of death have been built on sand. (02030503) |
|
020306 |
Is thus death natural and necessary? |
|
02030601
|
For example, the naturality and necessarity of death of man is shown by references to the naturality and necessity of death animals and plants. This is what C. Lamont writes: |
|
02030602
|
‘Usually it is assumed that death, as such, is very big bad thing, the worst enemy of man… But death in itself, as phenomenon of nature is not bad… death is completely natural phenomenon, it has played a useful and necessary role in a long time biologic evolution. In reality, without death, this so suitable function of organic species, to which the most complete and serious meaning has been given and which enables the emergence of organic species, the phenomenon called man would never have been born. |
|
02030603
|
Man, writes further Lamont, could not exist also in the case that he was not helped by the hand of death, which presents to his disposal the most fundamental methods of human existence. Fuel, nutrition, clothing, dwelling, possibility and material for reading, all those to a remarkable extent are dependent on it whether death does its part. Coal, gas and turf are obtained from decomposed organic particles; tree for heating and construction, for making of furniture and paper are obtained at the price of living trees, destroying plants, man enables to itself nutrition in vegetables, bread and fruit, but also clothing in cotton, linen and artificially produced fabrics. Death of animals gives people not only fish, fowl and meat to eat, but also fur and wool for clothing and leather for footwear’ (F022). |
|
02030604
|
What is, according ot Balashov, the double confusion of Lamont in the above reasoning?In these reasonings Lamont, twice in confusion of concepts, misses them. For the first, speaking of finality of existence of man he jumped over to another subject: finality of existence of living organisms.
|
96. Double confusion.
(02030604) |
|
02030605
|
Here is violated the principle of concreteness of truth: what is justified for living nature, cannot be automatically applied to man. If for establishing of living nature essentially important moment is eating of some living by others (vegetables by animals, some animals by others), so for man, for man himself this moment long ago ceased to be essentially important and generally some meaning: cannibalism dropped away and higher beings, who would eat people, do not exist on Earth. Lamont as a matter of fact does not see the principal difference between man and other living organisms, when he tries to show the naturality and necessity of death for man referring to naturality and necessity of death of living nature. This is distinctly seen also from his other reasoning: ‘for me, he writes, one of the best counterpoison against the idea of personal perish is included in full understanding of natural death and its unavoidable place in great living process of evolution’ (F023). |
97. Principle of concreteness.
(02030605) |
|
02030606
|
What does the reference to the evolution of living nature prove?Reference to the evolution of living nature of the past does not prove anything. The idea of making in it signifies that old ceases, firmly confirmed, having seemed immutable and new hitherto inexistent emerges. What was good in one phase of making, may turn out to be bad, impossible to be adopted in another. Historical progress appears, of course, as the continuation of biological evolution, but at the same time it brings in itself new, hitherto inexistent, something that was not possible in the framework of biological evolution. The point of view of Lamont is essentially naturalistic reductionism.
|
98. Reference to the evolution.
(02030606) |
|
02030607
|
What is the difference between death and perishing?Secondly, Lamont speaks everywhere about death, even if he as a matter of fact speaks not only of death as a result of fulfillment of biological cycle of development, but also of violent perishing of organisms as a result of killing, eating. He for instance writes: ‘death of animals gives people not only fish, fowl, game and meat…’ In reality, for the animals this is not death, but perishing, destruction. For themselves such perishing is not natural, neither necessary, neither useful.
|
99. Death vs. perish.
(02030607) |
|
02030608
|
How does Lamont absolutize death according to Balashov?Presenting all perishing of living organisms as death, Lamont at the same time widens the concept of death and this way absolutisizes death, poses it on the same board with life. This in final account also was apparent in his thesis: ‘life manifests itself through death’. This way, even as such futile replacement of concepts (death instead of perish) leads to sag in understanding mutual relations of life and death.
|
100. Perish vs. death - difficult.
(02030608) |
|
020307 |
Death is a factor of progress? |
|
02030701
|
How can the world be young for ever?In reasoning about necessity and utility of death often appears thesis about the importance of change of generation as an obstacle of progress. Marcus Aurelius, for instance, wrote: ‘All what you see here, will be changed by natural power; it makes of the same nature something else, and of that again still something else, so that the world would be young for ever’ (F024). You see, what the motive is: ‘that the world would be young for ever’. Superficially thinking people would see here the dialectics: here you have the eternity and the youth. If, however, we more carefully scrutinize the thesis of eternal youth of the world, so we will see in it an absolution of change, flow, convertibility of one to another. Emphasis of attention on change of generation leads to such absolution.
|
101. How can the world be young for ever?
(02030701) |
|
02030702
|
It is well known that in the society at a given moment of time coexist and mutually act different generations: children, adult, old aged. This enables a balance of dynamism and stability of life. Young people give life the necessary dynamism. Old people show a stabilizing effect on it (F025). |
102. Balance of dynamism and stability.
(02030702) |
|
02030703
|
Coexistence of different generations is a fact and shows that there is no such thing as a pure change of generations. |
|
02030704
|
What is important in the change of generations?Now this question: why the temporal link, succession of generations is always seen only from the negative point of view, that is: change of generations as a result of death of old people (their giving way to younger)? Wouldn’t it be better to appreciate this change of generations not from negative point of view (death of old people), but from positive side (birth of new generations). For if new generations will again and again be born, so how long ever people lived, then how long would the balance of different generations be saved. Versatile generations, their balance, proportional relations are determined not so much by the exit of old generations as by the birth of new. Death of old people is not at all necessary for the maintenance of equilibrium between various generations. The main thing is that the level of birthrate be maintained.
|
103. Important: birth of new generations.
(02030704) |
|
02030705
|
How about more than three generations?The longer people live, the broader becomes, other conditions remaining unchanged, the representation of various generations at any given moment of time in the life of society, the deeper will be the counterpositioning of old and young members of society. But this allows a better continuity, better link of generations, their greater variety, their deeper intercourse and mutual enrichment. In stead of presently observed three coexisting generations (children, parents, grandparents) there would be four, five, six etc. generations. Now people enjoy that alive are their parents, grandparents, they see in this existence of stability in life, guarantee of their own long life.
|
104. How about more than three generations?!
(02030705) |
|
02030706
|
How could the living transfer of experience from one generation to another?But how good it would be, if also great grandparents etc. woud be alive. Experience of previous generations would be transferred to generations to come with better foundation, without losses, connected with the exit of these generations from life. For it is no secret that people again and again repeat the errors of earlier generations and above all because these earlier generations did not succeed in transferring their life experiences. But how much creative findings, discoveries, inventions are lost for this reason?! How many people must refind already once found, reinvent already invented! (It is possible to say that the link between generations is enabled through the objects of material and spiritual culture (books, for instance). On this it is easy to answer: no objects of material and spiritual culture can substitute the living intercourse between generations, living transfer of experience from one generation to another.)
|
105. Great grandparents etc.?!
(02030706) |
|
02030707
|
Why would it be better to speak of multiplication of generations than of change of generations?This way it would be excellent, if at the same time lived not only two or three generations, but many generations. In front of us would be a living history, pressed in one moment of time.
|
|
02030708
|
Why would it be better to speak of reproduction of generations than of change of generations?It would then be better to speak of reproduction of generations. In reproduction, but not in change, the generations are really a source of progress. Correspondingly also progress must be understood not as continuous change, renewal, but living dialectic union of dynamism and stability, change and steadiness of life.
|
106. Reproduction of generations.
(02030708) |
|
02030709
|
In stead of transefer of genes also transfer of life experience...Change of generations in a pure way is characteristic to only the most primitive forms of life. The progress of life aside from all others consist also in it that gradually increases period of time, during which various generations (preceding and subsequent) are living together. The more primitive animal, the shorter this period of present time would be. The most primitive animals transfer their experience only through breeding cells, through genes. Higher animals, instead, transfer to new generation not only genes, but also their life experience, teaching and educating the young, showing them example. The more generations would be on one slice of time, the more functional, effective would be the living transfer of experience from generation to generation, consequently the steeper the curve of progress.
|
|
02030710
|
* * * |
|
02030711
|
How serious is the problem of overpopulation?It is confirmed also that if there is no change of generations as result of death, a threat of overpopulation and exhaustion of resources emerges. Lamont, for instance, writes: ‘How romantic and enticing this possibility (endless existence – L.B.) at first glance would seem, it does not loose its limitations. If practically nobody would leave this earth as a result of death, a problem of population arises, much more serious than any other problem, with which the world encountered up to now.” (F026). The argument risen by Lamont does not stand criticism, because it emanates from the assumption of principal limitation of living space and resources. Really, at any moment of time both the living space and the resources are limited. But who said that with the solution of the problem of continuity of the human life time also the problem of increase of living space and resources would be solved?!
|
107. Threat of overpopulation.
(02030711) |
|
02030712
|
How 'on Earth' can the problem of overpopulation be solved?Of course, if going from the assumption that human race will live only on Earth, then it is not difficult to foresee the arrival of the moment when as a result of reproduction and increase of life span it becomes dense for people and resources are exhausted. Of it is the question that this assumption is based on past experience of evolution of live and does not take into account the possibility of man exploiting cosmic space. That is why most often it is tried to show the natural course, necessity of death and change of generations referring to the living nature, in which perishing of organisms and change of generations are determined by the struggle for existence and limitation of eathly resources. But what is true for living nature, must not be applied mechanistically to human society. People, differing from animals, are finding all new and new sources of resources and for this process there is no end. With the construction of thermonuclear reaction and exploration (population) of cosmic space people practically supply themselves unlimited resources and can multiply and increase the continuation of their lives to any limits.
|
108. Cosmic solution of population problem!
(02030712) |
|
02030713
|
* * * |
|
02030714
|
Must the old people give way to young?Still this argument is presented: old people must give way to young, else there is no movement ahead. In this case it is clear or not clear they do not assume cooperation of generations, but their contraposition, mutual exclusion (young must displace old, and old people, correspondingly, must step aside and give them way). Lamont gives this argument in such an insulting from the point of view of old people form: ‘Already in present conditions wisecrafts observing old and obstinate people who have high position have invented the device: ‘As long as there is death, there is hope!’ (F027). As a matter of fact, the situations are possible, when old person, having lost necessary properties for management and creativity, stubbornly aims to manager’s chair. But whether these situations may be generalized to the measures of mutual relations between older and younger generations? And whether it can be generalized that the hand of death must work here? Is it so necessary?
|
109. Old people must give way to young.
(02030714) |
|
02030715
|
Are there other solutions to the population problem?The above described situations can be handled in several other ways. The simplest is to stick on principles of appointment on election and removability of management. Another way is not only lengthen life (add years to the lifetime), but obtain conservation and development of creative potential at the end of life (add life to years). It is completely possible to reach such conditions that aged people are creative people, capable of accepting new things and self creating new things. Such a way exists: go a different way, not that which already was used. As a matter of fact, why must aged people necessarily go the same way as young? Whether there is only one way in the world? And why not the young people, in certain cases, should not seek other ways? In real life can be observed just many cases, when young people abandon the used seats, go out to unpopulated places in order to open new ways, new avenues of life.
|
110. Several solutions.
(02030715) |
|
02030716
|
Is death a partner of coming unborn generations?In the light of what has been said, completely inapplicable must be considered the reasoning of the writer Enn Perrish and comment to him by Lamont. ‘Everyone of us, quotes Lamont of Enn Perrish, must die for life, for the flow of river, too big, in order to it could be dammed to some pond, because of the growth of seed, too strong to remain always in the same form. As far as these corpses must perish, we are greater than it seems to us. The most egoistic must be glad to give their lives to others. The most timid must be bold enough to exit’. Further Lamont comments: ‘This way, death opens way to greatest possible number of individuals, including our own posterity, in it that they could experience joy of life, and in this sense death is a partner of generations of people not yet born, right up to infinite centuries of future’ (F028). Lamont would have been right, if really the resources were limited and not to be renewable. As far as it is not so, death does not open way to greatest possible number of individuals and birth. Death thus is not partner of coming unborn generations.
|
111. Death as partner of coming unborn generations.
(02030716) |
|
020308 |
Is death needed for life? |
|
02030801
|
In reasonings about utility of death the following thesis is often used: death is needed in order that the meaning of life would really be appreciated. |
|
02030802
|
This thesis sounds different with different authors. |
|
02030803
|
According to Lamont: what follows from the reognition of mortality?Lamont, for instance, writes: ’I am convinced that honest recognition of the mortality of man not only breaks morality and does not stop progress, but other conditions remaining unchanged, works exactly to the opposite direction. People then understand what is right here and now, if they at all are going to sometime do this, they must develop their chaces to conquer happiness for themselves and others, participate and lay their part to the enterprises that according to them have the highest value. They will learn, as never before, reality of rapidly running time and recognize their serious obligation to exploit it in the best way.’ (F029). Elsewhere he writes about unifying (!) significance of death: ’Social meaning of death has also its positive sides. For death brings near us general worries and general destiny of all people everywhere. It unifies us with deeply felt cordial emotions and dramatically underlines then equality of our final destinies.
|
112. Recognition of the mortality.
(02030803) |
|
02030804
|
How to appreciate to full extent the importance of the present moment?The generality of death reminds us about the essential human brotherhood, which exists in spite of severe disharmony and conflicts registered in history and existing also in present matters’ (F030). Founders of the concept of ‘humanistic psychology’ have led to the psychology of the subject death. ‘From those points of view – declares M.A. Petrovskaya, then recognition by man of the perspectives of inexistence arouses in him a special relation to the present. The significance of the present arisest, it turns out as that organic time existing in personality for the realization of its potentiality. The problem is not to live in constant fear of death or consideration of death, but to appreciate to full extent the importance of the present moment, the value of what we are doing right now. ‘In order to completely understand oneself man must collide with death, recognize personal death’ (Corey G. Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Monterey, Calif., 1977, p. 49)” (F031).
|
113. Generality of death.
(02030804) |
|
02030805
|
What does the positive 'Zeitnote' mean?Some philosophers see the positive meaning of death in that emanating the positive ‘Zeitnote’ it teaches people to appreciate time, not waste it in futilities. ‘Death, writes Y.V. Sogomonov, is apt to fulfil a useful role. It is a powerful catalysator of life. For if eternity awaited man, would it pay hurry up, it would be necessary to span ones powers and will, consequently struggle for earthly happiness? Man would in this case be inclined to ossification… A clear consciousness of the finity of life does not at all terrorize morally stable people. Consiousness of the Zeitnote teaches man appreciate time, not waste it in vain, in futile things, but strive to live life so that then ‘there would not be years painfully sourly lived.’ A man recognizing that the death comes anyway, and life must be hastened and felt hurrying’ (F032). Or: ‘… consciousness of the inevitability of the end of life, writes L.N. Kogan, causes people to appreciate specially ‘biographically necessary time’, feel with reason all moments of their life’. (F033)
|
114. ‘Zeitnote’
(02030805) |
|
02030806
|
Comment: without death we would not recognize in full the value of life.All these opinions are based on the assumption that without death we would not recognize in full the value of life. We now are thinking whether this is right. If as one should (well) think, one may see that there are thousand ways of feeling, recognizing, experiencing value of life without the ‘perspective of inexistence’, ‘colliding with death’. When man loves and is loved, doesn’t he feel the greatest value of life? When man burns with creative fire and he succeeds, doesn’t he recognize the value of life? When man sees sun, sees the smiles of people, when he is well, happy, does he need still something else, in order to be able to appreciate life? Value of life is in life itself and to look it aside, in death, in other world immortality is an empty business, useless work. Recognition the life’s intrinsic value arises in all normal people, not gone out of mind by pessimism or consolation philosophy, a thirst of how to get more, thirst not to die (F034).
|
115. Value of life is in life itself.
(02030806) |
|
02030807
|
In the mentioned quotations sounds this motive: death is needed, because it picks out life, allows to feel its fascination etc. It is a well-known motive. It sounds still as parallel of good and bad, health and sickness, richness and poverty. For example, when it is tried to show the necessity of moral evil (more detailly look about this below, p. 181). |
|
02030808
|
Is it necessary to experience sickness in order to appreciate health?In connection with health and sickness it is also possible to hear discussions about how we in reality feel health then when we suffer in sickness, when in times of sickness we appreciate how bad it is non-healthy and how good it is to be healthy. Again lie. In order to appreciate health it is not necessary to be sick. There are people who very little experienced sickness in their life, were well practically always. So whether tey were unhappy people, because they did not experience serious sickness? What a nonsense! The positive power of health is enough to express itself in effervescent, fullblood life of man, in sorrows and joys, in enjoyments and commotion, in struggle, in victories and connections. Of course, it is possible to understand people who really do not experience, do not exploit their health. When they start to suffer, they also start to feel all enjoyment of health. You can only feel pity for them.
|
|
02030809
|
Is poverty needed for creativity?The same motive is echoing in statements about poverty, lack of the value of creativity. Some scientists, confirms Jan Parandowski, "openly doom the material success". According to them "poverty does not allow to fall asleep, be lazy. Keeping the artist in continuous exitement awakens his energy, hardens his character, prevents to become proud". Parandovski quite justly opposes: "What has not been said in order to praise poverty, what has not been told of separate cases, where a poor struggles against poverty, should not all search for best means to promote talent. In general poverty leads to shipwreck and in its merciless hands thousands of excellent talents have extinguished, they have extinguished in poverty and despair." (F035).
|
116. Creativity from poverty?
(02030809) |
|
02030810
|
In broader sense it is said about necessity of suffering. This is what Y.V. Sogomonov writes at this occasion: |
117. Necessity of suffering.
(02030810) |
|
02030811
|
Is suffering needed to awaken powers of povers?‘It is said, for instance, that suffering awakens powers of people. But if carefully scrutinized, it turns out, that here simply takes place a substitution of concepts: ‘obstacles’ are considered as ‘sufferings’. Life consists of overcoming difficulties, the presence of which undoubtedly stimulates the action of people. Suffering gives no stimulating effect, sooner they push to passivity, diminish but not add powers of man, although the threat of suffering, obviously, activates people. Not so much the hunger itself gives an impulse to action as the danger of hunger, not so much the sickness as the possibility of it. Whether people hate gossip only because it succeeded to hurt them personally, or they start to fight with vandalism only after it was their turn to be hurt by knife? And whether only fear of expected suffering awakens people to action and other stimuli do not exist, for instance desire of joy or necessity to create?
|
|
02030812
|
Sometimes it is stated that suffering purifies character. This is possible in separate cases. But often the suffering people are gloomy, egoistic and annoyed. |
|
02030813
|
Perhaps the suffering does people compassionate? Undoubtedly, a creature experiencing no suffering, does not at all understand the pains of others. But the great part of suffering does not at all depend on the size of the suffering. Do not the sick people turn out to be lesser egoists than the healthy ones? But perhaps the suffering does people more reasonable and modest? Scarcely so! Kant has said that suffering without cause makes furious, but suffering with cause oppresses. |
118. Suffering without cause makes furious.
(02030813) |
|
02030814
|
Erroneus is also the idea that suffering is necessary as a supplement to joy. Although it is true, in general, that we may experience joy without precedent suffering, specially this concerns higher and firmer joys, given by creative action. As to it has spoken Mirza Shafi, the Afghani poet of 19th centuryOnly stupid or villain thinks,
That sorrow improves people,
Such idea comes out of error,
That old knife of rust sharpens,
That of rain the autumn day is fair,
Water clearer and lighter in the stream.(Считает лишь дурак или злодей,
Что горе совершенствует людей.
Такое мненье сходно с заблужденьем,
Что старый нож от ржавчины острей,
Что от дождей в ненастный день осенний
Вода в потоке чище и светлей.) |
|
02030815
|
It is believed that sufferings push afore talants, that without them creativity and enthusiasm, which are nothing else but ‘intoxication out of misfortune’. In this statement it is tacitly assumed that joy and happiness unavoidably lead to spiritual paralysis. In fact the joy and happiness contain a moment of insatisfaction as a source of new Purposes and desires, increase of powers and enthusiasm. If suffering of hunger and poverty come over people then they have no time to occupy with science and inventiveness, they have to use their power to subsistence. (F036) |
|
02030816
|
Are difficulties needed to overcome difficulties?In all but one one I could agree with Y.V. Sogomonov: that life consists of overcoming difficulties and that difficulties and obstacles unequivocally stimulate the activity of people. Firstly, life does not lead to the overcoming of difficulties, and secondly, not all difficulties and obstacles are useful for people. There are such difficulties which would better not be there. The art of living consists just of overcoming difficulties which help to grow, and avoid those that disturb.
|
|
02030817
|
4. From that same statement: ’we are not observing the excellent, until we miss it’(к/ф «Русский сувенир», 1960 г.). |
|
02030818
|
In all these statements an effort is made to compare positive and negative in life, to put them on the same scale. This is a futile effort. Death is not needed for people, neither sickness, nor poverty, nor bad. |
119. Not needed!
(02030818) |
|
02030819
|
What is the logical defect of the above statements?In addition all these notions have one logical fault: in them a positive thing is treated through negative (good through bad, life through death, health through sickness, richness through poverty, excellent through the lack of it). In logics already ages ago it has been defined: negative definition of a concept is not sufficient, is not a real definition of the concept. It is a logical error to define a positive concept negatively.
|
120. Negative definition of positive concept is a logical error.
(02030819) |
|
02030820
|
All referred statements in their strange form, paradoxically hit the outer effect and nothing else. |
|
| |
———— |
|
02030822
|
Has recognized mortality a separate effect on the state of mind?Of course, recognized mortality in a defined way has its effect on the state of mind of man. This consciousness of separate cases, in fact, allows to feel clearer the value of life. But, in the first place, consciousness of mortality may not only cast a shadow on the value of life, but also diminish, blacken it out and even snuff out the light of life. It is a double-edged sword. Secondly, it is completely obvious that life in the shadow of death is not needed. Life, as I already mentioned, is a value as such. It as such does not lack its shadows even without such a horrific shadow as is death. Life is struggle and in it losses and failures, defeats are inevitable.
|
121. Life is a value as such.
Consciousness of mortality may snuff out the light of life. Life does not lack its shadows even without such a horrific shadow as is death. (02030822) |
|
02030823
|
What is the significance of the 'zeitnote'?Above I presented the opinion of Y.V. Sogomonov about the consciousness of ‘zeitnote’ teaching people to appreciate time, not to waist it. This is the case. But it is allowed to ask: why is there death? Is it perhaps needed in order to help people value the time, not waist it? Life consists of small and big things. If man undertakes a thing, he tries to bring it to finish and not because death gives him a limit, but simply because the logics of the matter requires it. We are setting time limits to be observed, place ourselves zeitnotes, time deficits and by doing this do absolutely not think of death. Big things, big Purposes require as their time limit the whole lifetime of man and even overcome this limitation.
|
122. ‘Zeitnote’.
(02030823) |
|
02030824
|
In what sense life consists of discontinuities?Human life cannot be imagined as some clean continuity that is interrupted only once, when deah occurs. In itself it consists of several continuities: one ends, other begins. Life is a developing process and naturally it consists of separate, relatively complete etappes, which consist a discontinuing series of life cycle. In addition life, as I already said, represents in itself a kind of discontinuing totality of small and big things, which have their origin and end. This all testifies that inside it it continuously terminates. So being to death cannot be given the absolute value of finality. It cannot be conformity between mortality, which has a partial meaning, and termination, which has universal and general meaning. All real existence has in itself the moment of termination - such is the dialectic of termination and non-termination. But of this does not follow that living ends only through death. The latter is only one of the 'means' of termination of living. Monocellular organisms, which are dividing for billions of years, are living an ending time (from one division to another). But they do not know death. Death of multicellular organism from first organic and anorganic molecules has happened in an undefined phase of the birth of living nature. It is completely possible that human being sooner or later finds another means of finishing its life, a means that is not as destructive as death (of this more in detail later).
|
123. Discontinuities in life.
Life is a developing process and naturally it consists of separate, relatively complete etappes, which consist a discontinuing series of life cycle. (02030824) |
|
02030825
|
What is ment by the saying ‘rapid driving – quiet carrying’?With Sogomonov still the following argument is found: ’Man recognizing that death is inevident, hurries to live and feel’. In the first place, why here must be seen only the positive side of this dependence? With the same success may be imagined the situation, when consciousness of the inevitability of death, rapidity of the flow of life pushes man to excessive hurrying of action that leads to lamentable results. Not in vain is said: ‘hurrying makes laughing’. But car drivers have a still sharper saying: ‘rapid driving – quiet carrying’. Excessive hurrying and impatience are also harmful, dangerous, as are excessive slowness and patience.
|
124. ‘rapid driving – quiet carrying’
(02030825) |
|
02030826
|
What is the law of life: emptiness or fullness?Secondly, why should we necessarily whip ourselves with thoughts of the unavoidability of death?! Man hurries both to life and to being without feeling that in front there is olderdom with tilting shoulders, but therefore that he wants to live bubling full life, in order to have his every movement to be excellent and significant. A well-known saying with other words: man does not tolerate emptiness, strives originally to the fullness of life. This is the law of life. Death has no place in it.
|
|
02030827
|
Above I quoted the words of C. Lamont about the uniting significance of death. As it seems to me, this is an invented thesis. In itself death does not unite, but separates people. If people unite in front of the face of death, so only because to defend life. Not death, but life unites people. |
125. Uniting significance of death.
Not death, but life unites people. (02030827) |
|
020309 |
Immortality bad means death good? |
|
02030901
|
Lamont speaks also of positive moral significance of open recognition of mortality of man. The tip of this his thesis is directed towards believing of other-world immortality, weakening the will of man to lead real earthly life. Lamont here actually uses the means of proof of the opposite of ‘either – or’ (immortality bad means death good). From our point of view this theme is too simple for evaluation of relationships between mortality and immortality. Particularly also immortality is bad, and mortality is bad. More often than not ‘open recognition of the mortality of man’ has a negative moral significance, just as belief in life after death. Above I already several times have spoken of this. A person founding his life on this open recognition either tries to live one day, or in general passively waits death and does nothing serious. In separate cases he may even finish himself, that is, commit suicide. ‘Existence in front of the face of death’ is psychologically disarming situation. |
126. Means of proof of the opposite.
(02030901) |
|
02030902
|
Is immortality an illusion?In general the argument ’immortality bad, means death good’ is often used for recognition of the positive value of death. Lamont, for instance, quotes in accepting sense the statement of ‘professor K.J. Kaiser in his extraordinarily eloquent survey ‘Meaning of death’ writes: ‘if there were no death, if life did not cease, if it were a process of infinite continuity, it would be without those valuable things, which make us strive to immortality… All sacred values, which make life an invaluable gift, gently push to all-intrusive existence of temporary ending. Death is not a tragedy of life, it is a limit of life, essentially important for its goodness; tragedy would exist if there were no death, life would be deprived of its value’ (F037). Lamont himself writes: ‘And no doubt can exist that decisive recognition by them (people – L.B.) of the fact that immortality is an illusion, would have only favorable consequences. The best is not only to believe in immortality, but also to believe in mortality’ (F038). Above I presented an analog opinion of Y.V. Sogomonov.
|
127. 'immortality bad, means death good'
(02030902) |
|
02030903
|
What is the third possibility in addition of mortality and immortality?We agree that individual immortality in its pure form leads to ossification, stagnation and that it is in general impossible. But from this does not follow that death is good, desirable, appears as source of progress etc. Who said that only two versions are possible: death or immortality? Proof of the opposite has sense only in case of alternative situations: either – or. If one is wrong, bad, then the other is right, good. In relation to mortality and immortality this proof does not work, because in the present case a third possibility exists and is realized: transition from mortality to immortality, synthesis of mutual enabling of mortality and immortality. Real immortality and real death appear, so to say, moving, it is transiting one to another, as moments of universe as a whole, by name of life. It is not possible simply to divide them using the principle of ‘either, or’. Who does this, simply cannot or will not get rid of partition of counterparts expressed in the formula: ‘yes-yes, no-no, that above it is something vily’. For the sake of justice we pay observe that also a union of mortality and immortality according to the principle of ‘and-and’ is also not completely right. For it cannot be firmly proven that they also peacefully are used in life. More correct would really be to say: life fights against death, with death for immortality. Life unites and divides them. The arrow of life is directed from mortality to immortality.
|
128. A third possibility exists.
(02030903) |
|
020310 |
Eutanasy is ’good’ death |
|
02031001
|
From strictly private to serious social problem.In death as social problem there are two sides: 1) death, exit from life of one of us and 2) burial, parting of the dead. If the second part of death has from immemorial times been surrounded by rituals, ceremonies that is reasoned, cultivated, so the first part has only in the recent years become object of close attention of community. This is connected above all with the acchievements of medicine and of the fact that medical became to play important role in people’s lives. The process of dying has changed from strictly private matter to serious social problem. People have thought a special term for this problem: eutanasy.
|
129. From strictly private matter to serious social problem.
(02031001) |
|
02031002
|
What is the meaning of the word 'eutanasy'?The word eutanasy (from greek eu – good, and thanasos – dead) literally means ’good death’. This is rather broad significance of the concept. In the practice, however, the use of the word during the recent decades in correspondence with the rise of social status of eutanasy it is no more understood as good death, but easy death with the help of doctor, the doctor’s help eases the death for the dying or hastens the death in order to relieve the pains of the dying (F039).
|
|
02031003
|
What is the wide sense of the word 'eutanasy'?We consider it so that eutanasy must be understood in as wide a sense of the word as possible, just as ‘good’ death, that is death, which brings minimal suffering to the dying and to all people concerned.
|
|
02031004
|
What other meanings of the word 'eutanasy' exist?In practice eutanasy is a means of dying well. This is a rather complicated and comprehensive problem.- Above all good death is dying as late as possible. This is the opposite side of the medal, where it is written: good and long life.
- Then good death is dying without special pains (own and other’s).
|
|
02031005
|
The second concept of ’good death’ is closely related with the first, is based on the first. |
|
02031006
|
As a matter of fact death is always followed by pains, sufferings, sad feelings, if not own (in cases of momentary or easy death), then other’s (close people, friends or just people who have heard of the death). This situation means that dying without special pains is the best in the tilting age when the limit of life is near and therefore death is not unexpected to the surrounding people. When a young person dies or person in full powers, it is always a tragedy independent of how the dying person experienced it. |
|
02031007
|
We will be shorthanded and shortsighted, if we will see in eutanasy only the second meaning: dying without special pains. Culture of dying is depending on how we are living in general. One must think of living and not of dying. The cycle on the theme of death is dangerous just therefore that people stop thinking about life, psychologically gets ready to exit of it. |
|
02031008
|
What can be seen as the limiting case as the exit from life?From our point of view, the exit from life of deadly ill person with the help of doctors must be seen as a limiting case, when all means of maintenance of life have been exhausted. Here are possible two versions: 1) exit from life on will of the patient himself and 2) termination of life of the patient on the decision of doctors, the closest, other people in general, and not on the decision of the patient himself. In that case and the other, arises the problem of defining the concept of ‘mortal disease’, ‘dying’, ‘unmedicable disease’, ‘hopelessly ill’. Errors may occur in both directions. A heavy (nonmortal) illness may be taken as mortal, leading to death, and vice versa. In order to minimize these errors, certain conditions must be observed.
|
130. Limiting case.
Exit from life of deadly ill person with the help of doctors must be seen as a limiting case, when all means of maintenance of life have been exhausted. (02031008) |
|
02031009
|
Which four minimum conditions must be fulfilled for an exit from life at the will of the patient?1. Exit from life on will of the patient is justified at the minimum of observing four conditions:- availability of psychoterapic and other help for depression, overcoming harmful condition;
- the patient must be in full powers of mind (psychiatric expertise) and able to formulate his/her desire in written form with the help of notaries, in the presence of two nonmedical witnesses;
- written statement of doctors about the progressive mortality of the disease, that is impossibility to support conscious and painless life of the patient without using complicated technical equipment;
- existence of corresponding juridic foundation in form of special law on eutanasy.
|
131. Exit from life.
(02031009) |
|
02031010
|
Fulfilment of the first condition must precede juridic procedure of the patient’s formulation of desire. It is not excluded that the patient having overcome the depressive condition denies the desire to die prematurely. |
|
02031011
|
Which four minimum conditions must be fulfilled for an exit from life without the willing of the patient?2. Terminating the mortally sick patient’s life without his willing is justified observing the following conditions:- the patient is not himself capable of decide (psychiatric expertise);
- written statement of doctors about progressive mortal illness;
- written permission of the closest persons;
- presence of consulting legal basis in view of special law about eutanasy.
|
132. Terminating the mortally sick patient’s life.
(02031011) |
|
02031012
|
Why also the few last moments of human life are valuable?Above I have spoken about the possibility of exiting life of the fatally ill with the help of doctors must be considered as extreme, exceptional case. As a matter of fact, human life is sacred. Therefore also some hours, days, months of conscious life of the patient before death are valuable both for himself and for the closest to him, and for people in general. If this creative person, if he has something to say to people, then the last moments of life can be doubly valuable.
|
|
0204 |
Immortality as absolute |
|
020401 |
About the attractiveness of the idea of personal immortality |
|
02040101
|
Now we reason the notion founding on the idea of absolute immortality, that is recognition of the reality of individual immortality denying at the same time the reality of death, ignorance of it, declaring it nonreal, impossible. These ideas are from the height of present knowledge naïve, absurd. Notwithstanding, they bewildered the heads of people for thousands of years. People have sometimes completely seriously assumed, believed that real death does not exist, that they will live for ever. I.I. Mechnikov presents such astonishing facts: |
|
02040102
|
What astonishing beliefs concerning immortality are found?‘Many original people literally understand religious teachings about immortality and look at promise of other-world life as an undeniable truth. So aborigines of Fidji are convinced ‘that they will be reborn in the other world in exactly the same outlook that they died on earth; therefore they want to die before getting somehow ill’. And as it is very difficult to reach old age without illness or some other state of weakness, so ‘as soon as people feels the old age being near, they warn their children that it is time to die. If they do not themselves say this, their children do it. They summon the family council, decide the day and dig the tomb. The old one chooses between suffocation and being buried alive’.
|
|
02040103
|
The following example shows, to which extent may go the belief in the future life. A young Fidjian once came to the British traveler Gent in order to invite him to the burial of his mother. Gent accepted the invitation and joined the burial procession. |
|
02040104
|
Astonished about the nonexistence of the dead body he asked the young person about it. The latter ‘showed his mother who was going among them as merry and calm as all the others. Gent said to the young man about his astonishmeant and asked him, how he could cheat him saying that mother died at the same time as she was living and healthy. The answer was that only the procession to the tomb is now going on, and that she will be now buried and that she has lived enough and that it is time that she died, to which she agreed with pleasure’ (Lubbock, 1, p. 372). |
|
02040105
|
The presented example is not an exception. Complete towns are known with some hundreds of inhabitants none of whom is older than 40 years, because all old people were buried. It is easy to understand that at such dreamful belief people may not be afraid of death. |
|
02040106
|
According to Sculcraft Indians of South America are very little afraid of death. ‘They are not afraid to go to land, full of continuous enjoymeants, in which, as they have always heard there are no sorrow, nor sadness’. (same, p. 374). |
|
02040107
|
To me myself is known an example of an orthodox girl who was so convinced about the blessing of paradise that in time of serious illness she waited death with impatience. Before death she believed that she already sees wonderful flowers and hears the singing of the paradise birds.’ (F040). |
|
02040108
|
What makes people again and again to construct different theories of immortality?In the idea of personal, individual immortality there is an enormous attracting power, which again and again makes people construct different teachings, theories, concepts. Man as being is active, creative and cannot accept the idea of the inevitability of his finality, whatever speak the philosophers and comforters (F041). Also, when a close person dies, it really is an uncomforted grief and nobody can substitute the deceased, or only the blind belief of other-world immortality, the belief that real death does not exist.
|
133. Enormous attracting power.
(02040108) |
|
02040109
|
What is the origin of the idea of immortality?Originally the idea of immortality also was born as and idea of not accepting the inexistence, not accepting death. To this hints the word ‘immortality’ itself, being constructed of ‘mort (death)’ and the prefix ‘im (not-)’. Completely logical that immortality originally was understood only in its negative meaning, that is as a counterposition of death. If there is immortality, then there is no death. Either – or. From this counterposition and of the fact that people have not completely been able to liberate themselves from the fact of death was also born the belief in other-world immortality, in life after death (or as it is still said, life beyond the coffin).
|
134. Counterposition of death.
The idea of immortality was born as and idea of not accepting the inexistence, not accepting death. (02040109) |
|
02040110
|
What makes people to thirst the immortality?People are characteristically realists. Why would they obstinately comfort, pacify themselves with fairytales about other-world immortality? This is understandable, because in the first place, they desperately wanted to live, live and live, but who something hopes wery hard, also sees it. Thirst of eternal life gave birth to illusoric beliefs about the reality of immortality. A trivial example of how a desired thing seems to be reality. Secondly, psychic life of people at undeveloped thinking has given a mass of quasifacts, as if testifying of the life after death (pictures, monuments, dreaming, imagination, hallucinations, convincing tales of swindlers, fantasts, psychically nonhealthy people). Thirdly, certain therapeutic meaning of belief in other-world immortality. It dulled, weakened the instinctive feeling of fear of death, instinct of self-preservation and this allowed people to act more humbly, bravely, confidently. (True, big rations of belief in other-world immortality made people defenceless in front of all kinds of unfavorable influence). Fourthly, social political meaning of belief in other-world immortality. To the power of the owners it was advantageous according to various reasons to support this belief of the common people. For instance, for the war commander it is easier to lead the troups, easier to send people to death, intoxicated by the belief of the other-world life. By the way, until our time, among the religious fanatics exist terrorists and kamikadze who go to death in full confidence that in the other world a paradise blessing awaits them.
|
135. Thirst of eternal life.
1. Desperate desire to live.
2. Psychic life gives false examples.
3. Therapeutic meaning of belief in other-world immortality.
4. Social political meaning of belief in other-world immortality. (02040110) |
|
020402 |
Plato and Seneca: proof in favor of immortality |
|
02040201
|
Some philosophers tried to reason, explain, confirm by logical proof the spontaneous belief of people in immortality. Seneca, for instance, has written: |
|
02040202
|
‘(10) But if in you exists so firmly the desire to live longer, think of this: nothing visible to our eyes is not destructed – all hidden in nature, from where it appeared and and appears again. There are interruptions, but not destruction. And death, which we abhor with fear, makes pause, but does not finish life. Again comes a day, when we reappear in world, although many would like to refuse returning, if not forget it all. |
136. Comes a day, when we reappear.
(02040202) |
|
02040203
|
(11) After me having explained to you more in detail that all, seemingly abolishing, only changes. But to whom it is meant to return, must exit peacefully. Look at the circular flow of things, hurrying to earlier: you will see that in this world nothing is destroyed, but only shortly disappears and again reappears. Summer goes, but next year brings it back, winter goes, but day brings it back. And different kind of currents are here, that they repeat the used road, and when part of heaven goes up, the other descends down’ (F042). |
|
02040204
|
What was Seneca's idea about the death as end of life?As we see, Seneca tries to show that genuine destruction, death does not end life, but only pauses it. It is to be remarked that he uses the analogy of heavenly bodies. The result is that immortality reminds infinite circular movement. Seneca understands death as return process, as a moment of circular flow of things. Argumentation of the philosopher allows to expect something better. As to its form it is similar to inductive conclusion. Seneca counts the facts of circular flow (summer – winter, night – day, movement of stars) and places on one line with them the facts of death and birth. He took examples which prove as if in favor of the contrariety of death. We know, however, that inductive conclusion is not complete enough to be logical proof. Seneca did not pay attention or ignored facts of opposite order: when processes run in a nonreturning way, in one direction. Death belongs to the series of processes without return.
|
137. Death does not end life.
... but only pauses it. He uses the analogy of heavenly bodies. Seneca understands death as return process, as a moment of circular flow of things. (02040204) |
|
02040205
|
Why can Seneca be excused for his belief in death as a process without return?Seneca is excused only, because in his time (antiquity) people did not quite well imagine that such death and its nonrecursiveness were not so undisputed, as it is imagined now, from the point of view of the modern scientific knowledge.
|
138. Antiquity vs scientific knowledge.
(02040205) |
|
02040206
|
What was Plato's view about immortality?In similar manner argumented Plato already earlier than Seneca. However, first of all, he gave an inverse argumentation, rather interesting from the point of view of logics. In ‘Phaedo’ he shows the immortality of soul with the help of the idea of mutual transition of opposite counterparts. Excluding factual sides of his reasoning one cannot agree with him that mutual transition of opposite counterparts is the basis of long time existence, conservation, immortality. Plato guessed the logical link, the correspondence between mutual transition of oppositen counterparts and infinity, immortality. He can be reproached only in it that he in clear manner absolutized then mutual transition of opposite counterparts, that is, he did not see (or did not want to see) that in nature at the side ot mutual transition unidirectional change of one counterpart to another.
|
139. Mutual transition of opposite counterparts.
(02040206) |
|
02040207
|
This is how Plato arguments. |
|
02040208
|
How does Plato overvalue the possibility of inductive proof?Firstly, he stubbornly thinks that if counterpositions exist, between them must exist mutual transition. In confirming this idea he presents different examples of mutual transition of opposite counterparts (bigger and smaller, weaker and stronger, rapid and slow, worse and better, just and unjust, dissipation and union, cooling and heating, dream and awakening). In given case Plato as also Seneca, uses induction. And like Seneca he clearly overvalues the possibility of inductive proof. Even if three times as many examples are presented of the mutual transition of opposite counterparts, by the help of them cannot be proved that all natural processes would be mutually returnable, that in nature there would not be unidirectional, nonreturning transition of one opposite counterpart to another.
|
140. Possibility of inductive proof.
If counterpositions exist, between them must exist mutual transition. - Is not true. (02040208) |
|
02040209
|
How does Plato see the general symmetry of nature as a proof of his view?Secondly, for the foundation of the idea of dual transition of opposite counterparts Plato unclearly goes from the idea of general symmetry of nature. In one place he says that return transition of opposing counterparts (not only of living to dead, but also dead to living) is necessary for equilibrium, otherwise must be assumed that ‘nature has a lame leg’. You cannot say, the comparison is strong. Asymmetry according to Plato, is such an absurd as a limping man. It is easy, however, to retort to the philosopher: every comparison is limping and comparison of nature with man in the matter of symmetry and asymmetry is clearly limping. Plato sees in man only symmetry, two legs, and does not pay attention to the fact that in man there is much asymmetry (for instance, sight in front – sight back, down two legs – up one head). So also in nature, along with the symmetry there is all kinds of asymmetry. Philosopher, essentially, uses unqualified method: he tries to prove the counterposition of asymmetry in nature by referring to asymmetry (limping leg) where it (symmetry) must be, where it is natural.
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141. Symmetry vs asymmetry.
(02040209) |
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02040210
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In what way does Plato try to discredit the idea of irreversible transition?Thirdly, Plato uses proof of the opposite: he tries to discredit the idea of irreversible transition of opposite counterparts and at the same time to confirm the mutual transition of opposite counterparts. He introduces the idea of unilateral transition to the logical end and shows its absurdity. Plato in the present case changes the essence of dialectics: he considers the problem of transitions of opposite counterparts only in two versions: either as mutual transitions, or as irreversible transition – there is no third possibility, because the irreversible transition is impossible as a general phenomenon, because it is in general impossible, and exists only the mutual transition of opposite counterparts. Plato does not see that also the mutual transition of opposite counterparts is impossible as a general phenomenon. If all opposite counterparts continuously transform to each other and there is no unilateral transitions, we are looking at an eternal circular movement, eternal repeating of one and the same. But this means a complete stagnation, inexistence of genuine emergence, birth. With other words, we are coming to the same as in the case of assumption of unilateral transition.
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142. Proof of the opposite.
(02040210) |
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02040211
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What is the big error of Plato in his argumentation?The error of Plato is that in relation to nature as a whole he allows himself thinking within the limited principle of ‘either –or’ (elects mutual transition of opposite counterparts and rejects the irreversible transition). If living transits to dead, it means that there is an opposite transition of dead to living, a revival. With Plato appeared the idea of other ways of birth of living out of dead, but he throwed it away, because he acted along the idea of a general character of the mutual transition of opposite counterparts.
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143. The error of Plato.
He allows himself thinking within the limited principle of ‘either –or’. (02040211) |
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02040212
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What is naïve in Plato's argumentation?Fourthly, in his effort of founding the mutual transition of living and dead Plato uses analogy with mutual transition of wake and dream. From the point of view of the modern science this analogy seems naïve, but in olden times it was one of the strongest arguments in use of ideas of immortality of soul. Plato can be reproached only that he went to refer ancient authors of this analogy, without critics accepted it. Here Plato was lead to prefer generality, similarity, equality and lack of love to unitary, particular, detailed, details. If he carefully would have puzzled out in all similarities and differencies between two pairs of contrarieties (living-dead and wake-dream) he would have seen that between them there was more difference than unity and he would have abandoned the analogy.
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144. Mutual transition of wake and dream - naïve.
(02040212) |
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02040213
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What is the Christian notion of immortality?From Plato the thread reaches to christian notion of immortality and mortality of body. ‘From all the mentioned, he writes in ‘Phaedo’, follows the conclusion: to divine, immortal, rational, unitarian, indissoluble, constant and unchaged in itself in high degree similar to our soul, but human, mortal, not comprised by reason, polyformal, dissoluble and perishable, impermanent and nonsimilar to itself like, is also in the highest degree, our body’. In this Plato’s statement we see the rather developed notion of immortality by ancient thinkers. The sources of the idea of immortality disappear to the depth of thousands of years. On some etap of becoming (closer to the beginning) this idea completely seized the man, became dominant in his consciousness. Man long time stayed its prisoner, earlier than he understood that in its absolute version this idea does not correspond reality. He started to search a compromise solution of the problem of immortality and mortality. Eastern idea of the transition of soul and Platonian-christian notion of immortality of soul and mortality of body are the clearest examples of such compromise solution. Each of these versions is in its own way logical and convincing. Not accidentally during the flow of many centuries these compromise solutions lived in the consciousness of people, and still are living to this day. Why do we turn them down? Because they do not in reality solve the problem of the mutual connection of immortality and mortality. In them are united eclectically the idea of pure, absolute (always equal to itself) immortality and acceptance of de facto mortality of body. Such union from the beginning to the end is artificial, and based on dualistic notion of parallel existence of soul and body.
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145. Christian notion of immortality.
(02040213) |
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02040214
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So we return to critics of the idea of pure, absolute immortality. |
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020403 |
Why absolute personal immortality is impossible? |
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02040301
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What is Balashov's view of the absolute immortality?According to my opinion the idea of pure, absolute immortality is as erroneous as is the idea of pure mortality. Firstly, a pure immortality is impossible already because that all that is born must also die. If man some time was born, so he also some time must die. The fact of physical death of man nobody denies any more. All discussion about immortality of soul, beyond coffin, eternal life in the other world, life after death are doomed to remain purely speculative, fruitless, just as from the beginning they are based on the counterpositioning of soul and body, immortality mortality, the other world this world, potential actual.
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146. All that is born must also die.
(02040301) |
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02040302
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As only different immortalists (supporters of immortality) try to pretend the existence of the personality of man after demolition of the body at once counter invincible difficulties from the point of view of elementary human logics. And, in the end, with them remains nothing else than waving hands to logics and simply believing in other-world immortality. But this is already religion. No philosophy, and even less science, does smell here. |
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02040303
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About absurdities to which leads the idea of immortality of soul, off the body, has well written Lamont. Here is one characteristic example from his book which serves as tumbling stone for all immortalists: |
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02040304
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What is the tumbling stone of all immortalists according to Lamont?’But even spirits are not completely consequential. For instance, although also the other-world life exist sexual differences, the relations of men and women there must remain purely intellectual and spiritual. And although there exist marriages between genuinely close souls of different sexes, children never will be born. This way, the sexual differences exist also in that world, but without usual emotions and consequences connected with them. The question about sex in that world has always caused confusion with immortalists of any religious persuasion. We remember that skeptic Sadducees presented to Jesus this question: ‘We had seven brothers, they said, first of them after being married, died, and not havin had children left his wife to his brother, the same did the second brother, and the third, even up to the seventh; after all of them and also the wife had died, whom of the seven will she be wife? Because all of them had her. Jesus said them as answer… at the resurrection there is no marriage, but people stay angels of god in the heaven’ (Matth. 22:25-30).
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02040305
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What is the tumbling stone of all immortalists according to Lamont?Independent of what Jesus had in mind when giving this answer, the orthodox Christian church, along with the spirits, has not jerked from supporting the idea of sexual differences in the future life. And it is understood, resurrection of the previous natural body makes this unavoidable. Saint Thomas Aquinas and catholicians, however particularly announce that exactly as in the other world there is no eating, drinking or sleeping, there is no conception. Although this way the sexual organs remain useless, they will not ‘be without aim, because they will serve for the unity of the human body’. That circumstance that in fact no immortalist in the Christian West never left in the great other world realm place for enjoyment of full and unlimited sexual love, it seems a sad commentary not only for their logics but also for their norms in relation to what is good and excellent’ (F043).
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147. Sexual differences in the future life.
(02040305) |
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02040306
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Why is the idea of absolute immortality contrary to categorial logics?The idea of absolute immortality is contrary to categorial logics, all categorial structure of thinking. Dialectics of immortality and mortality are akin to the dialectics of conservation and change, stability and changeability, general and specific, typical and individual. Unending, the subcategory of which is immortality, stands in the same row with such categories as equality, conservation, calmness, stability. As impossible absolute conservation, absolute calmness, absolute stability, so is also impossible absolute immortality. Think only: what is this individual personal immortality in its pure form? It is infinitely long conservation of the sameness of the individual itself. Even if we allow that the individual changes inside itself, becomes different, its infinitely long existence is contrary to the facts of general change, appearance and vanishing of transitions of one to another.
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148. Absolute immortality is contrary to categorial logics.
(02040306) |
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02040307
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What is the view of philosophers and scientists about the absolute immortality?Philosophers and scientists already long ago wiped off the idea that immortality in its absolute version is equally strong as the recognition of conception, eternal repeating of one and the same. Above already Y.V. Sogomonov’s opinion was presented about that ‘if the man waited eternity’, he would have in this case the ability of ossification’. According to the words of V. Pekelis on the main question with cybernetic authorities there has already long time been the ready answer: ‘Maximal standfast, immortality, leads to stagnation and poses end to evolution’ (F044). Historian A. Gorbovsky writes: ‘In the world where all find immortality…, immortality of every man in particular comes to contradiction with evolution of man as a whole.’ (F045).
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149. Philosophers and scientists about the absolute immortality:
Immortality of every man in particular comes to contradiction with evolution of man as a whole. (02040307) |
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02040308
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Really, a connection of individual immortality in its pure form and stagnation is obvious, with eternal circulation in analogy of albumin in cycle (we remember, by the way, that the cycle is the model of the infinity). |
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02040309
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What in common have 'hot snow' and individual immortality?Individual immortality in its absolute version is as impossible as hot snow or round square. The adjective ‘individual’ excludes the substantive ‘immortality’, in the same way as the adjective ‘hot’ excludes the substantive ‘snow’. Correspondingly also the concept confirming uncompromising immortality of man (in its ever more often called immortalism), does not contain any reasonable critics and may be evaluated only as religious. In the individual immortality may only be believed. In reality nothing corresponds and cannot correspond to it.
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0205 |
Living connection between mortality and immortality |
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02050001
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Philosophers and writers have a long time discussed in general form of thought about living connection of mortality and immortality. |
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02050002
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What is the significance of Plato in questions of mortality and immortality?Here above all should be mentioned Plato. Almost two and a half thousand years ago in the dialogue of ‘Pir’ he with astonishing clarity and profoundness showed how the connecion of mortality and immortality is realized. It was he who originated and founded the thesis that love and creativity are the origin of immortality in a mortal being. Almost all that is said by him in this question I may include in my argumentation. This is what he has written:
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150. Plato: Love and creativity are the origin of immortality.
(02050002) |
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02050003
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"But cannot we add, she continued (Diotima – L.B.), that people love all that is good?
— We can, I answered.
— But don’t we add, she continued, that people love and possess all that is good?
— We add that.
— And not only possess it, but not possess for ever?
— We add this.
— Does not, in one word, love be something different than love to possess forever all that is good?
— You speak essential truth, I said.
— Now, if love is something that is always good, she said, so say me, how must behave those who always are trying to it, in order that their ardour could be mentioned as love? What should they do, can you say? (…)
— Now, I answer you so, she said. They must be born in excellency, both in body and soul… It is so that all people are pregnant so physically as spiritually, and when they reach a certain age, our nature requires liberation of pregnancy. Liberation may only happen in excellency, not in monstruousness. Hundreds of men and women have that liberation. And this matter is divine, thus the conception and birth are the essence of the appearance of immortal origin in the essence of mortality. Not one or the other cannot proceed unsuitably, but unsuitable for all divine is monstruous, then when excellent is suitable. This way, Moïra and Ilfrida (F046) of all biths are Graciousness. Therefore, having approached the excellency, the pregnant being is thoroughly overcome by love and joy, gives birth and delivers into the world, and approaching to the monstruous, turns dark, gets bitter, huddles together, turns away, gets locked and instead of giving birth, withholds in womb the fruit. That is why the pregnant and those who are already in pains, so much desire exceleency, it liberates them from big brth pains. But love, she concluded, is not at all striving to excellency, as it seems to you, Socrates.
— But what is it then?
— But why just give birth? And because birth is that part of immortality and eternity that is allowed to the mortal being. But if love, as we agreed, is striving to eternal possession of all that is good, then along with all that is good must not be desired also immortality. But it means: love is striving also to immortality.
All this she teached me every time, when she spoke to me of love. And once she asked me:
— In what, in your opinion, Socrates, is the reason of this love and this passion? Did not you pay attention to how unusual conditions the animals have, and terrestrial and fowl, when they are liberated from the pain of childbirth? They become to loving passion at the beginning of the time of mating, and then when they feed their babies, for which they are ready to fight with the most powerful ones, as if they would not be weak themselves and die, and suffer hunger, only in order to feed them, and in general suffer everything that is needed. About people can still be reasoned, she continued, that they do this commanded by reason, but what is the reason of such outbursts of the animals, can you say this? (…)
— This is how, she said, if you were convinced that love, out of its own nature, is this striving to what we already have often spoken of, then also there is nothing to astonish you. Because animals, quite as people, mortal nature tend to be as far as possible be immortal and eternal. But to reach this it can only one way – by birth, becoming ezch time new instead of old, for even for that time, of which they speak about any living being, that it lives and remains the same – man, for instance, from youth to old age, is considered the same person, it never was the same, although is considered the same, but always renews loosing something of the previous, be it hair, skin, bones, blood or in genral all bodily, and not only bodily, but also that what belongs to soul: nobody stays without changes, neither his habits and pleasures, nor opinions, nor aspirations, nor joys, nor sorrows, or fears, always something appears and something disappears. Still more astonishing is, however, what happens with our knowledge: not only that some knowledge is added, but some is lost and consequently we never remain the same and as to knowledge such part of all knowledge especially. What is called exercise, not conditioned by anything else than overflow knowledge or knowledge to be forgotten – this overflow of some knowledge, but exercise makes us again remember what is forgotten, saves for us knowledge so that it seems to be completely restored. So, in this way is conserved also all that is dead: in separation of divine it does not stay like new. Just this way, Socrates, concludes she, is connected to immortality the mortal – and body and all the rest. There is no other way. Do not be astonished that every living creature out of its nature is concerned about its descendants. Because of immortality to everybody in the world enjoys of this assiduous love.
Listening her speech I was amazed and said:
— Yes certainly, wise Diotima, is this really that way?
And she answered; as answer true sages:
— You can be assured in this, Socrates. Take human ambition and you will be astonished of its thoughtlessness, if you remember what I said, and allow unseen, how arduously people announce their names, in order to save for ever immortal glory’ (F047), for which they are ready to go to still greater difficulties, than for their children, use money, suffer any severity, die, at the end. You are thinking, she continued, Alcestide would like to die for Admeta, Achille in succession to Patrocle, but your Codr is because of future realm of his children, if they all wish to erect that immortal memory of their benefactor, which we also now conserve? I think, she said, that all do their best to conserve that immortal reputation of their benefactors, and the more dignified the people are, the more they also do. Immortality – that is what they want.
Those to whom pregnancy is allowed, she continued, turn themselves more to women and serve Eros just so that, hoping through childbirth gain immortality and happiness and to leave for themselves the memory for eternal times. Pregnancy spiritually, for also those exist, explained she, who are pregnant spiritually, and as such even in grater extent than bodily, pregnant through the fact that soul is suitable to nurture. But what is suitable to nurture? Reason and other goods. Their parents it is suitable all creatures and those of the massters, who may be called explorers. The very most important and excellent is to reason, how to manage the state and the home, and this wisdom is called ressoning and justice. This way who from the youth nurture these qualities, saving purity and at the beginning of maturity, but also experience vehement desire to give birth, he also, I think, seeks all over excellent, in which he could allow pregnancy or in monsterity does not on any condition give birth. Pregnant he enjoys of excellent body more than of monstruous, but particularly glad he is, if such a body meets him in combination with excellent, noble and precious soul: for such a person he at once finds words about virtues, about what must be and for whom dedicate himself as a respectable husband, and start for his education. Using time with that kind of person he touches excellency and gives birth to what has already long time been pregnant. Always remembering his friend, wherever this only were, far away or near, he consulting him grows his child, thanks to whom they are closer to each other than mother and father, and friendship between them is stronger, because children binding them together are more excellent and immortal. And everybody, be it, prefers to have such children rather than normal, if they think of Homer, Hesiodot and other excellent poets, whose posteeriority is deserves jealousy, because it brings to him immortal reputation and conserves the memory of him, because also they themselves have immortal fame. Or take, if you like, she continued, children left by Lycurgo (his laws – L.B.) in Lakedaimon and, it may be said, in all Greece. In honour with you is also Solon, parent of your laws, and in different other places, be it with Greeks or with barbars, enjoy honour many other people, having omitted many excellent deeds and given birth to many kind of virtues. Not one sanctuary is erected for such children by these people, but for common children no sanctuaries were started’ (F048) (Al italics is mine – L.B.). |
151. Plato: Love and creativity are the origin of immortality.
(02050003) |
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02050004
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According to Pico della Mirandola: What makes man mortal or immortal?Humanist of Renaissance time Pico della Mirandola in ’Speeches about the dignity of man’ put into the mouth of god these words addressed to Adam: ‘I did not make you neither heavenly nor earthly, neither mortal nor immortal, in order that you yourself being a free and famous master, formulated of you to model that you imagin for yourself. You may be reborn as lower, irreasonable beings, but may also be reborn according to the desire of your heart as higher divine’ (F049). Pico della Mirandola stated a very important idea about that the action of man (as ‘free and famous master’) makes him mortal and/or immortal (cfr. Seneca: ‘Some people die already living, some continue to live also after death’).
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02050005
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Here are remarkable lines from the ode ’God’ by the poet G.R. Derzhavin:I with body rotten to decay,
With brain am I king of thunder,
I czar – I slave – I worm – I god!Я телом в прахе истлеваю,
Умом громам повелеваю,
Я царь — я раб — я червь — я бог! |
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02050006
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What did Tolstoy answer to the question: Why should I live?L.N. Tolstoy in ’Confessions’ tried to overcome the gap and counterpositioning between finality and infinity of existence. In connection with this problem him was given question about the meaning of life: ‘The question was this: why should I live, that is what real comes out not destructive of my ghostlike, destructive life, what kind of idea has my final existence in this unending world?’ (p. 33).
From the beginning he went on the road of imaginative partition of ending and unending: ‘In my reasoning I constantly compared, and could not proceed otherwise, ending and unending with unending, but because I had as a result that result should also be: power is power…, nothing is nothing, and furthermore nothing could be as the result’ (p 34).
‘Understanding this, he writes further, I understood that one must not seek in reasoning knowledge (read: reasoning – L.B.) answer to my question and that the answer may be obtained only by setting the question in a different way, only when into resoning is drawn the question of the relation of ending to unending’ (p. 34) (F050).
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152. Why should I live?
(02050006) |
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02050007
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How did Bunin formulate the question of mortal or immortal?Following L.N. Tolstoy I.A. Bunin formulates: ’Human life is expressed in the relation of ending and nonending’ (F051). It seems better and nothing to say. This is, however, a general phrase and beyond it you can hide very different contents. What kind is the concrete mechanism of this relation of ending and nonending – just this is the question. L.N. Tolstoy has separate ideas and guesses in this respect, but no structural theory.
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153. Ending and nonending.
(02050007) |
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02050008
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What is the realistic philosophic concept expressing the living connection between mortality and immortality?It is a pity that up till now no realistic philophic concept exists to express the mechanism of living connection between mortality and immortality. It is time to finally go over from general reasoning and separate guesses to concrete explanation of dialectics of mortality and immortality. In the present work an effort is made to perform this transition.
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154. No realistic philophic concept exists to express the mechanism of living connection between mortality and immortality.
(02050008) |
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02050009
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What are the three 'mechanisms' proposed by Balashov for the connection between ending and unending?Up till now I have explained and reasoned the history of the question. Now I will try to give the theory of the question.
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155. After history of immortality Balashov is explaining the theory of it.
(02050009) |
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02050010
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What are the three 'mechanisms' proposed by Balashov for the connection between ending and unending?Above I have spoken of how the life constitues and solves the counterposition between ending and nonending exixtence. This is a general solution of the problem. How, in concrete terms, ‘works’ the expressed counterposition? Our opinion is that there are three ‘mechanisms’ of connection (forms of mutual enabling) of ending and nonending as applied to man:
- love
- creativity
- strive to active old age (continuation of life)
As it is mentioned, in living nature the mutual enabling of ending and nonending of existence are effectuated thanks to reproduction of organisms and, particularly, sexual reproduction. It is clear that also in human society in an invisible way (on a higher level of occurrence) this biologic mutual enabling is conserved. Familiar and brotherly relations and love lying on their fundament remain as natural continuation of sexual reproduction. Reproduction of the kind stays as the main obligation of people as living beings. Together with it the contradiction between finality and infinity of existence gains new, specifically human features. The limits of mutual enabling of these contradictory are moving because of creative activity of people. Creativity as also love, serves as a real ‘representative’ of immortality (endless existency) in the ending life of people. Children and creativity are real consequences of ending by nonending. They in their particular way finalize (announce the completion) of the evident nonending (infinite) life of individual.
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156. Forms of mutual enabling.
(02050010) |
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02050011
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What is the role of active old age?The third form of connection ending and unending existence is the strive to active old age, continuation of life, consequent solution of problems of infinite existence.
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157. Strive to active old age.
(02050011) |
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02050012
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Can human being reach full immortality?So, on the one hand it is necessary that people know and grasp that they are mortal, not eternal. On the other, human eagerly wants to be immortal, strives to it, desires it. And this is understandable. The idea of life in many respects consists of making it immortal. I do not state, of course, that human can reach a full immortality (personal, individual immortality, as it is also said). But to strive to immortality he can and is obliged to. Such a position, in order not to confuse it with the concept in order not to confuse it with the concept of immortalism, it can be called, in analogy with philosophy, philoimmortalism. As there is no absolute wise and philosophers humbly denominate themselves as lovers of wisdom (literally wisdomlovers), so also there is no absolute immortality, and people can denominate themselves only as philoimmortalists, that is, striving to immortality, hunting immortalism, loving immortality, making it.
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02050013
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Are we able to make immortality?Striving to immortality is not simply striving, in the way of eternal hunting of apparition running away (as sometimes happens in a mardream: we are reaching after something or trying to escape and it does not succeed; result being a sensation of painful unsatisfaction, feeling of powerlessness). Striving to immortality effectuates in form of making it. Making immortality just is expressing process of moving, approaching it. This movement, approaching materializes thanks to our conscious efforts, action of love, taking care of posterity, creation, struggle for lengthening life.
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158. Making immortality is only expressing process of moving, approaching it.
(02050013) |
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02050014
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How can mortality and immortality be compared with relative and absolute truth?Dialectics of mortality and immortality is akin of dialectics of relative and absolute truth. Absolute truth is a full, exhausting knowledge of object, in other words, full equality of our conception with the object of cognition. We never reach absolute truth (object interminable and cognition of it interminable), but strive to it must be, otherwise there is no progress in cognition. We will never reach a full immortality, but to strive to it is our duty, otherwise there is no progress in life. (Comparison of striving to immortality with that of absolute truth is ever more justified as cognition is understood as creative action and in that action ‘making’ of immortality is one part).
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02050015
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'Absolute truth is not separated from relative by Chinese Wall.' How can you likewise compare mortality and immortality?In correspondence of relative and absolute truth there is still one moment, which helps us understand correspondence of mortality and immortality. Absolute truth is not only the aim of cognition, ideal to which strives the cognitive subject, but also something presently existing in our knowledge. For philosophers that in relative truth, limited, approaching knowledge there is a grain of absolute truth. Absolute truth is not separated from relative by Chinese Wall. And our knowledge actually is a union of relative and absolute and relative truth. So is human life. Yes, it is finite, limited in space and time. But on the other side, in individual human life there is a grain of infinity, eternity, immortality. This grain I denominate as actual immortality. Making of after death, potential immortality, but also making of today, present in life, actual immortality.
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159. Grain of infinity, eternity, immortality.
(02050015) |
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02050016
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In what way can we be immortal now in real life?Usually we speak of only potential immortality (of the remaining ‘footprints’ after physical death). In reality man can be immortal not only potentially, not only in what remains after him children and grandchildren, what his creative action lives after his physical death, but also and actually (in present moment, in real life). Actual immortality of man is in deeds of creation, love, that is just in what constitutes the potential immortality. Vice versa, the finality, frailty, emptiness and insignificance of existence in a particularly clear way exists in moments, when love, creative impulse is lacking.
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02050017
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How can 'collecting flowers of pleasure' now be compared with immortality?In creative action and in love producing children, human potential and actual immortality are combined, that is, the dilemma: to live for the future, in the name of future or actually live, ‘collect flowers of pleasure’ now, at present.
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02050018
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This will be discussed more in detail somewhat later. |
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02050019
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* * * |
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02050020
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Real immortality of man is a biosocial expression of infinity. - Explain!So, real immortality of man is a biosocial expression of infinity. Immortality of life really as well as the infinity of world, and as means of overcoming finality of individual existence are love and creative action.
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0206 |
How do we make immortality? |
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020601 |
Reproduction of human race |
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02060101
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Because of immortality all is
accompanied by this assiduous lovePlato, Pir 208b |
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02060102
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02060103
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Closest to individual immortality human being gets by reproducing his akin, the next generation. - Comment!As the personal immortality is impossible, as in front of people always has stood and always shall stand the problem of reproduction of mankind, reproduction of akin. As Plato spoke, mortal, differently from divine, does not always stay the same, but becoming old and going away, leaves behind new alike.
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160. Becoming old and going away leaves behind new alike.
(02060103) |
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02060104
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Up till now people did not invent other means of reproduction of akin, they must give birth and raise children and solve the problems of love, marriage and family arising from this. |
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02060105
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What is the treshold birth rate to keep population unchaged?Above all of the problem of nativity. Sociologists and demographers already long ago have arosen alarm: the nativity is falling, ever more threatened are the factors affecting the depopulation, that is the dying of population. Demographers mention the threshold of 2,15 children per one woman, below which there is the diminishion of the population. Already in whole countries the birthrate is clearly below this level. Thus, in Germany it is 1,4 children per on woman. The situation in Russia is not better, particularly in recent years.
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161. Threshold of 2,15 children per one woman.
(02060105) |
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02060106
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What would happen, if the birth rate fell to 2 children per one woman?The whip of the modern cultural society is family with few children (one child and two children family). Demographers have caldulated that if all families would have two children, the population of that country would diminish to half in 350 years. But if all families would have one child, the population would be halved in 53 years. It is a matter of fact that the dominant family has one child. In addition to that, the family itself as social institution is dissolving. And this is understandable. A situation of vicious circle has come out. Small number of children leads to the situation that the following generations of people, grown in families of few children in the family, as a consequence of smaller number of marriages become less and less firm.
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162. A situation of vicious circle has come out.
(02060106) |
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02060107
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Facts being that modern civized society is under the threat of slow death (F052), if no serious measures are taken in order to increase nativity, fortification of family or its converting to other social institution, favourable for reproduction of man. |
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02060108
|
What does Balashov mean by speaking of mankind running a risk of obligatory suicide?As we see, the problem of ’making’ immortality in a most dense way connected with the problem of nativity and, correspondingly, the problems of love, marriage and family. All our progress in the field of science and technology, all our cultural achievements are not worth of a halfpenny, if the problem of reproduction of man will not be solved. As a result of depopulation, nobody will be enjoying the fruits of science and technology, culture. Modern society develops in an onesided manner and runs the risk of obligatory suicide. A balanced approach is needed. The logics of ‘making’ immortality requires in order to attract to problems of reproduction of man at least no less attention than to economics, science, technology, culture. At present this is not the case. Take for instance love. It is in the focus of the problem of reproduction of man. And what about it? Can society ‘boast’ with sufficient attention to the needs and requirements of love? No, of course not. When the loving young decide to constitute a family, then far from always they have the possibility of building their nest, that is to live together in normal living conditions. Further obvious is the fact that the childbirth lowers the wellbeing of the family. Having children loose in the economic relation to those not having. The society does not value to the work of parents. You can directly say that the modern socity pursues an antichild politics. Such politics is shortsighted and carries in it the slow death of society.
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163. Slow death of society.
(02060108) |
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02060109
|
This is how, for example, the UN understands the quality of life. In 20071020 I read in internet the following note: |
|
02060110
|
“Norway is considered as paradise of the quality of life |
|
02060111
|
How does the UN rate the quality of life in their statistics?The Journal The Economist published the annual Pocket World in Figures. The Daily Telegraph makes a basic rating of the book: the first twenty or so countries according the quality of life. Norway occupied the leading position in the rating, after it go Iceland and Australia. The list is closed by New Zealand. Included in the twenty were also Sweden and Denmark, traditionally famed for their quality of living. Outside the list was not United States either, they occupied the eight position in the list. The Daily Mail points out that rating is based on the index of development of human potential, (Human Development Index, HDI), developed by UN. It is calculated on three basic indicators: life expectation at birth, level of education of the population and level of real income of population.’
|
|
02060112
|
What are the three indicators on which the quality of life rating is based?Pay attention: UN defines the quality of life by three basic indicators: ’ life expectation at birth, level of education of the population and level of real income of population.’ Not one of these indicators says anything of the quality of family life of man. They only speak of the quality of individual life (life expectancy, education and level of income). Here is for you also the opinion of present ‘educated’ people! Quality of life they understand corresponding to the onesided education as the special quality of individual life. But that the quality of life is not possible without family constituents does not go to their heads. For life as a whole is not only the life of individual, but also family life! Life does not exist without (and outside) family life. We come to the world and grow thanks to parents! In their turn we also must bring to the world and educate children. Otherwise the life of humanity, life in general, terminates. And can the life of man be of quality, if after him follows emptiness, if it is going to nothingness? Not, of course. That is why the quality of life is not only the quality of an individual life, but quality of family life! Consequently, into the number of basic indicators of the quality of life must be included also such an indicator that number of children (minimum two, three). Yes, this indicator comes to a certain conflict at least with two out of three given indicators of the quality of life. What about it, the quality of life, as a matter of fact, is contradictory. And so the more, the more it is possible to minimize this contradiction, achieve a certain balance of different sides of life. Genuinely happy is he who achieves success in creative activity (profession), and in love (in family, reproduction of the family).
|
|
02060113
|
What criticism may be presented on the UN manner of calculating the indicator of the quality of life?But up till now the civilized humanity in the person of UN experts defines the quality of life only as individual, up to now this civilized humanity will diminish like La Peau de chagrin (English: The Magic Skin or The Wild Ass's Skin) and simply degenerate. If the number of basic indicators of the quality of life would include the number of at least two, three children, the picture of rating of countries on the basis of quality of life would be quite different.
|
|
02060114
|
What is needed to protect the human being?Finally it is needed that the importance of protecting the man himself as a living creature, as the importance of environment has been recognized. Finally it is needed that pressing measures be taken for establishment of steady reproduction of man (not at the cost of ‘fruitfulness’ of countryside population, which become less and less, but at the cost of rationally organized, balanced labor, rest and city population’s way of living.)
|
|
020602 |
Love |
|
02060201
|
Why does Balashov connect continuation of human race with love?It may be asked: why do I connect continuation of human race with love? Firstly – nothing in life is more important, more necessary, secondly – being only feeling, nothing less permanent, nonbinding. Really, if love is only feeling, then truly, it is not right to connect it exclusively to sexual love, from which the children emanate. That is exactly the question that love is not only and even only feeling. In its main meaning it is action – action of reason, mind and body. Love must be considered as special kind of human activity. As a feeling, opposite of hate, it is expressed in all kinds of human activity and intercourse, but as special activity it is expressed only in sexual activity between man and woman. Sexual intercourse is needed not only and not so much for the intercourse itself as for the continuation mankind. This means that love in its main meaning is what lies as a fundament of the continuation of human race.
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164. Continuation of human race.
(02060201) |
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02060202
|
What else is love than emotional expression of striving to harmony, unity, beauty?Love as action is not only emotional expression of striving to harmony, unity, beauty, but exactly this making and production of harmony, unity, beauty. Exacty this is the relationship between man and woman.
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02060203
|
Why does Balashov stress the difference between love as feeling and love as action?Why do I stress the difference between love as feeling and love as action? Such limitation is necessary for clarification of the essence of love as one of the most important means, factors of ‘making’ immortality. As a quality of feeling love is just some psychological state of mind and its connection with the continuation of the human race, that is, with the real ‘making’ of immortality seems to be problematic or rather distant. As a quality of special activity it is immediately ‘participating’ in the ‘making’ of immortality.
|
|
02060204
|
What else is love than feeling and sexual behavior?Furthermore must be said, that love includes in itself not only feeling, not only sexual behavior. As activity it comprises in itself both sexual intercourse between man and woman, and in general their relationships, and their relationship to parents, children, to others, to surroundin world. With other words, love of man and woman is not limited in the framework of their sexual intercourse, but in a way is widened in circles comprising their other relationships, relationships to parents, children, relatives, close people etc. In an excellent way has said V.G. Belinsky: ‘Love is poetry and sunshine of life’. Yes, love is sunshine of life. Its rays are radiating in all sides of life, illuminate all, even the most distant corners of human life. And this is true above all the relations to parents and children. Love towards parents prepares sexual love, love to children completes, crowns it.
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165. ‘Love is poetry and sunshine of life’.
(02060204) |
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02060205
|
In what sense is love a great factor of continuation of human race?Love as a great factor of continuation of human race is realizing in its full sense only in this trinity: as love to parents as loving connection and love to children do not carry the characteristics of the special activity. Notwithstanding, this is not only a feeling of sympathy, acceptation, opposite of hate. Together with loving connection they are situated on the same line with the continuation of race, are expression powerful instinct of continuation of race. We remember that Plato has written on this subject: animals ‘are in the passion of love in the beginning of mating, and then when they feed their cubs, for which tey are ready to fight even the most powerful as if they would not be weak themselves, and to die, and suffer hunger, only in order to feed them, and in general stand anything’. This, of course, is true also of human love. As childbirth so also education of children is impossible without love. A full-valued man can only grow in conditions of love, under its radiation.
|
|
02060206
|
What other meaning has love as factor in human society (in addition to being a factor of continuation of race)?Speaking of love as factor of continuation of race it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that in human society it has also other meaning – simply as factor of behavior, as the relationship of fortifying and cementing the link of man and woman, as first order social connection. At times this second meaning of love turns out to be the only one (for men and women, who do not have children).
|
|
02060207
|
In what sense does love widen the framework of (limited) life of man (=man and woman)?In both its meanings love widens the framework of the limited life of man. As a factor of continuation of race it widens the framework of separate human life in time aspect, indicates the overcoming of limits of limited existence in timely sense. But as factor of intercourse (as pure love relationship) it widens the limits of separate human life in space aspect, indicates the overcoming of limited spatial existence. As a matter of fact, getting into sexual contact man and woman in literary sense exceed the limits of themselves, ‘intrude’ to another space. In general, when one loves and is loved, the ‘ego’ transforms to ‘alter’ and vice versa, he of she in a way dissolves to another, gives him- or herself to another and at the same time finds in another person him- or herself, a confirmation of him- or herself.
|
|
02060208
|
What has been the role of writers, poets, artists in widening of limits of life?Significant is the fact that at all times writers, poets, artists have considered love as beginning, widening of limits of life, overcoming death. In a song they say:
|
|
02060209
|
We are loving – it means,
We are not dying... |
|
02060210
|
In a philosophic fairy tale by Gorky ‘Girl and Death’ with romantic passion the theme of love winning the death is confirmed. |
|
02060211
|
What is Tolstoy's view of love as a link between people?If Gorky presents the idea of love winning death, given in conditionally romantic connection, so another Russian writer – L.N. Tolstoy – has this idea being thought in social and moral connection. With Tolstoy the idea is relatively simple: love is the link between people. But where there is para, the life of separate, ‘this very’ person outgrows the limits of his own, finite, limited existence.
|
|
02060212
|
We shall stay more in detail at the concept of L.N. Tolstoy. We are using the talented interpretation of this concept by Y.N. Davydov. This is what he is writing: |
|
02060213
|
According to Tolstoy ’if man transforms his life to nothing, that he values as nonsense and bad, then to this is not guilty the life, but above all himself, having changed the blessing to bad. The source of this kind of transformation Tolstoy sees in all fulfilled non-true disunion of individual life of the life of people, wider – of humanity. The reason of this disunion is seen by the writer in distancing of the general process of ‘recovery’, that is constant renewal of this life, which in his conviction, is both challence and duty of man: active expression of gratitude for that talent, which he has received. Renewing life in his hard and noneasy work, which is ‘laborious’, as is laborious the participation to real process…, man learns ‘by heart’ comprehend the meaning of life, its rhytmics, its lawfulness, its necessity… (p. 53) |
|
02060214
|
After having internally learned that life is something immeasurable, broader and deeper than what he experiences, lives through, lives out in quality of such loving person in all his existence feels: it does not end at his own ending. Those whom he loves, remain in life, but in them, and even more in himself, together with them, life remains existing also after his death… |
166. 'life remains existing also after his death…'
(02060214) |
|
02060215
|
What is Tolstoy's view?Trying with one word to express what at the same time gives sense to life, and constitutes its inner idea, Tolstoy expressed always one and the same: love is as the source of the moral connection of man with the world and people, his surroundings. Love as ethic principle means according to the conviction of the Russian writer, above all careful and grateful connection of man to his existence, understood as a present of higher love… Such a connection, in turn, presupposes an immediate, emerging from profoundness of human existence comprehension of existence as absolute wholeness and unity, and, consequently, although also as experienced by every existing person as its present, as something presented just him, - in the sence of responsibility of him, however belonging to him together with others. For it is worth while to ‘think’ only from my existence the existence of all other people, as there flows also my own existence…
|
167. Tolstoy's view:
Love as the source of the moral connection of man with the world and people, his surroundings. (02060215) |
|
02060216
|
This idea, which all deeper and deeper was conceived by Tolstoy, opening for him between 1880 and 1890, laid as the basis of his following literary and artistic creativity – here it gauged and précised on the material of living human destinies… (In a series of works, among them ‘The death of Ivan Ilyich’) Tolstoy showed unbearable suffering of human life, him oppressing, and overcoming of this fear in ways of breakthrough of man, of fences risen by this fear in other people, to these ‘other’. Breakthrough, which according to Tolstoy is possible only by love. From its helping man finds consciousness of actual idea of life, as also consciousness of his panic-driven, freezing soul and his paralyzing fear in front of death was only another expression of his immortality – ‘loveless’ – life, and that this same fear constructed the fence between him and other people, and vice versa, his isolation from them – his inability to love them – was actual reason of this alertness, condemning man to fullest ‘condemnation’, ‘hypnose’ of seeing his own death, to destructive processes of his body, pushing man to the embracing of inexistence (?. 59-61)” (F053). |
|
02060217
|
How did Tolstoy understand love?In the quotation of Y.N. Davydov, Tolstoy’s concept of love, widening the limits of life, overcoming death, seems incontestable. Really, moral and wider – social – the meaning of love is very wel opened by Tolstoy. The writer has also a defined understanding of love as activity, creating life. It is not by chance that in ‘Death of Ivan Ilyich’ by his concept of love he ‘plays’ with the example of love of the hero of the novel to wife and son, which does not by far lead to abstract feelings of sympathy and love. And otherwise it could not be. In the opposite case we would have still one weak theory and prophesy of love in general, abstract love to humanity as a whole. Tolstoy as writer and realist, is inclined to understand love just as love activity, reproducing, creative life.
|
168. Tolstoy: love as activity, reproducing, creative life.
(02060217) |
|
02060218
|
What serious insufficiencies has Tolstoy's concept of love?Nevertheless Tolstoy’s concept of love has a series of serious insufficiences. In the first place, Tolstoy may be reprehended that in the foreground he proposed spiritual, moral, psychological side and does not value enough and even ignores physical side. In consequence of this he constantly ‘flounders’ with concepts of love as activity with its understanding as feeling. From this also Tolstoy’s preference of death over love seems to be ephemeric, purely psychic. For as a matter of fact, the overcoming of death over life is a gigantic process of life, it is the labor of reproduction of life, the continuation of life in the posteriority, but not only consciousness or feeling of the inexistence of death. In order of death not existing, work must be done, activity, loved actively. Some experiences, feelings, already changes of consiousness are little in order to really overcome death, overcome the limitation of separate, individual life.
|
169. Serious insufficiences.
Tolstoy may be reprehended that in the foreground he proposed spiritual, moral, psychological side and does not value enough and even ignores physical side. (02060218) |
|
02060219
|
What is the danger of absolutization of love by Tolstoy?A second reproach to Tolstoy: he in some way absolutizes love, widens its limits immoderately, putting it in the centre of life. As a matter of fact in addition of love to ‘others’ there is still the fight with ‘others’. This is not necessarily a war of destruction. It may be an honest competition, a sound concurrence. This may be a struggle of old and new, progressive with oldfashioned. This may finally be a wrestling against bad, bearers of bad. Such a fight with ‘others’ is not less significant for life than the fight against ‘others’. Love is just one pole of life. Another pole is the fight. As a special activity love appears in connection between man and woman. In all other connections it is present as the feeling of love, as emotional component of these relationships. Placing love to the centre of life, Tolstoy with this makes poorer, narrower the significance of the life itself as far as its significance of only as familybrotheerhood of life. For only in the latter love plays the central role. In all other forms of human life it is only one of centers.
|
170. A second reproach to Tolstoy:
He in some way absolutizes love, widens its limits immoderately, putting it in the centre of life. (02060219) |
|
02060220
|
What is the danger of connecting love to all kinds of activity by Tolstoy?Thirdly, Tolstoy may be reproached for treating love not only on the level of reproducing life. He tries to connect with love all kinds of activities, with which I cannot agree with him. Yes, love as a feeling is participating to all forms of human activity, aiming at reproduction (immortalizing) life. But this does not mean that it alone would be responsible for reproduction of life. There is the definition of the ‘divisionof labor’ between love activity and love creativity. Love is responsible for reproduction of living racial life. Creativity is responsible of ‘dead’ life – of material and spiritual blessings, material and spiritual culture. In this stage in which Tolstoy overvalued the significance of living racial life, he undervalued the significance of reproduction of cultural life. If he also valued the work and creativity, so that only in the aspect of problem solving of love activity, reproduction of living life. This , by the way, is the explanation of his endeavor to simplify, to put aside, undervalue the role of science in the society.
|
171. Thirdly, Tolstoy may be reproached...
He tries to connect with love all kinds of activities. (02060220) |
|
02060221
|
* * * |
|
02060222
|
In addition to love what is the other important form of immortalizing of life?Love is not the only form of ’making’ immortality. Other form of immortalization of life, as already Plato stated, is creativity. There is a close connection between love and creativity. More than that, they enable each other mutually. It is possible to say: love is creativity of living, lifecreativity, but creativity is love to truth, good, beauty. Love and creativity make something together, but only in different ways. They mutually complete each other. Love without creativity leads to stagnation of life, to eternal repeating of one and the same. Creativity without love is absurd and simply impossible.
|
172. Creativity without love is absurd and simply impossible.
(02060222) |
|
02060223
|
Love between man and woman nurtures and supports love to truth, good, beauty. On this account there are a whole mass of proof. |
|
02060224
|
It happens, of course, when love and creativity disturb one another. But this is not the rule, but an exception of the rule, and caused most often by circumstancial conditions, anomal conditions of love and/or creativity. |
|
020603 |
Creative immortality |
|
02060301
|
In his own matters man is immortal
N.I. Pirogov |
|
02060302
|
All joys of life are in creativity.
To create is to kill death.Romain Rolland |
|
02060303
|
What is social immortality?Creativity is a specific human form of ’making’ immortality. When we speak of social immortality, then most often is meant creative activity and its fruits, which immortalize man.
|
173. Social immortality.
Creative activity and its fruits immortalize man. (02060303) |
|
02060304
|
What is the task of creativity in the society?Creativity with invisible yarns unites man with other people, society, moves the limits of his separate life to the scale of the life of society. Therefore we speak also of real immortality of man closely combined with his life in the society, with what his life is merged or fused with the life of society as a whole. Musa Jalil said very well:
|
174. Creativity unites.
Creativity with invisible yarns unites man with other people. (02060304) |
|
02060305
|
Death is fearsome for you? You would like to be
— Eternally immortal?
Live wholly: you will die wholly
— All will live. |
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02060306
|
With these words of Musa Jalil coincides an aphorism of Berne: |
|
02060307
|
’Humanity is where there is immortality of mortal man’. |
|
02060308
|
Or the following statement of D. Mamin-Sibirjak: ’Separate man does not die, if he is animated by the general idea and serves general aims. |
|
02060309
|
As management to be base of action the words of T. Penn: ’for me, who lives for life in centuries, death is not fearful.’ In the same source a polish writer Andrzejevskij is reasoning: ‘I do not want to say that life is worth of only big problems. But if there are ones, life gets big idea… To life you must give idea, value, such that grow outside my own measures and can only exist independent of whether I am live tomorrow or am dead, within an hour.’ (F054). |
|
02060310
|
What services a person contributed to society, also determines the measure of his life, his death and immortality. Just this, probably had in mind Seneca, when he wrote: ‘Some people die with life, others continue living also after death.’ (F055). |
|
02060311
|
Is there a connection between the measure of creative activity and that of immortality?The connection with society of man is the guarantee of his immortality. But this connection is not only conection not only life in society, together with other people. It is expressed in doings of man, and above all, in his creative activity. Particularly the creative work expresses free human connection of man with society. Obligatory uncreative work does not make man immortal, but on the contrary, shortens his life, kills while living, alienating from it his human essence.
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|
02060312
|
Creativity as real ‘making’ of immortality. So, is immortality 'deserved' by quantity and - or quality of creativity?From these times, that people recognized the important role of creativity in their human existence, they have spoken and written of creativity as real ‘making’ of immortality. Pushkin’s words ‘no, I do not die, soul is in sacred lira my dust survives and my remains run away’ was the undisputed expression for many of real human immortality. Become creative man and you will be immortal. This idea expressed in many different versions has been said many times. There is no variation:
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175. Creativity as real ‘making’ of immortality.
(02060312) |
|
02060313
|
Goethe: ’If somebody would show himself genial in science like Occam and Humboldt, or in military and governmental matters, as Friedrich, Peter the Great or Napoleon… then all this would be the same and connected only to it that matters and ideas do not die’ (F056). |
|
02060314
|
Hegel: ‘The circle of life of farmer’s wife is about her cows – Lisa, Black, Brown etc., little son Marten and daughter Urshel etc. Philosopher has also his intime close things – infinity, cognition, movement, laws of feeling etc. And what to the farmer’s wife is the late brother and grandpapa, that for the philosopher is Plato, Spinoza, etc. One as real as the other, but the latter has something more, the eternity.’ (F057). |
|
02060315
|
Belinsky V.G.: ‘In whatever sphere of human activity geniality appeared, it always is an incarnation of creative power of soul, a message of life new elements and through this move it afore on a higher level of perfection. The apparition of geniality is an époque in the life of people. The genial person no more exists, but people still long time live in forms of life, that he conceived, long time until the new genius… He is not genius in history, whose creative work dies with him: geniuses in the way of history leave deep footprints of their existence long after their death.’ (F058). |
|
02060316
|
Jan Parandovsky: ‘The literature has its own time, it is not that which regulates trivial life, and also not that which moves afore the hands of the clock of history. The past, present and future in literature are not limited within themselves by simple succession, as a matter of fact, they have no restrictions, they flow in general and unified stream… Expression ‘Excellency does not get old’ is not only an empty phrase. Between the poems of Homer and ‘Pan Tadeusz’ by Mickiewics lie twenty six centuries. But whether this is a big cut of time, filled with so many changes, has any meaning for the assessment of the artistic value or even actuality of these poems?’ ‘Word is power’. Immortalization in writing, it finds power on thinking and dreams of people, and the limits of this power are not possible to measure or imagine. The word rules time and space… bad a writer, if he measures the duration of life of his creation in vanishing moments, bad, if he thinks that the moment does not charge him with the same obligations and the same responsibility as a century. Who does not work with creation seeing his “aere perennius” – ‘age longer than the duration of bronze’, who himself destructs conviction of in valuelessness of his own creation, should not take pen in his hand, because he is sower of darnel.’ (F059). |
|
02060317
|
Rather interesting is the reasoning of A. Schopenhauer about creative immortality. He writes: |
|
02060318
|
‘Honor may be claimed by everybody, glory only by exclusive people, because glory is reached only by exclusive merits, but these latter are expressed either in works or in creations, so there are two ways open to glory. In the way of work are oriented mainly great hearts; in the way of creation great brains. Both these ways have their special advantages and handicaps. The main difference between them is that works go by, but creations stay. The most successful works have only timely significance; genial performances remain living and show their beneficial and upraising effect for all times. Works leave behind them only memory, which remains ever weaker, mutilated and indifferent and is even doomed to gradual demolition, if they are not picked up and given by history in a fortified form to posterity. Creations themselves enjoy immortality and may, particularly embodied in writing, outlive all ages. Of Alexander the Great is save the name and memory; Plato and Aristotle, Homer and Horace continue to exist themselves, live and act immediately. Veds with their Upanishads are before us, but about all their present works up to our days does not remain any news*. Another inexistence of advantages of works is their dependence of occasionality, which at the beginning must condition their possibility; to this is joined still that their glory is defined not only by their inner value, but also by circumstances, which inform about their importance and brilliance. In addition to this, this glory, if, as in war, the work has purely personal nature, depends on the statemeants of many eyewitnesses, and the latter are never found, and not always are in good faith and unbiased. Most works, in contrast, such that they are practically not available for judgment to any people… The opposite is true for creations: their existence does not depend on occasionality, but exclusively on their creator, and as long as they stay the same as they are. Instead with them is connected the difficulty of valuation, the greater, the higher is their order… But for it again about glory of creation decides not only an instance, but here may be an appellation. Because if of works saved for posterity, as I mentioned, remains only memory, and that in such a way, as it is given by the contemporaries, creations, on the contrary, survive themselves, in this as they are, scarcely loosing any part of themselves… Sooner even, often only time gradually leads to them really competent judges (…): they consequently give their powerful voice, and this way – sometimes, true, only during the centuries – a fully righteous valuation is obtained, remaining immutable for all future times. As solid as, even directly irreversible is the fame of the creation. (…) Usually even, the more continuous is remaining the glory, the later it stays, - for all temporary ripens only slowly. Glory which is judged to be transferred to posterity’. (F060) |
176. Honor may be claimed by everybody, glory only exclusive people.
(02060318) |
|
02060319
|
Do different measures of immortality exist?Immortality is different of another immortality. Immortality of a genius is one. Immortality of a talent is another. Immortality of a competent in something (in the way of farmer’s wife at Hegel) is third. Different measures of immortality exist, although in all cases a man strives to immortality, makes it. Immortality must not be understood as something always equal to itself. Greater and smaller immortality exist. Man strives not to immortality alone, but to greater immortality. This is akin to how man strives to only knowledge, but to greater knowledge. If man strives only to immortality, he would restrain only to reproduce alike himself, to only biological immortality. But no, to him must be eternity. He strives to widen the limits of life further and further. If for instance, Horace dreamed of his musa living to the time when there is Rome (‘I will again and again praise, until on the Capitolium a priest leads a speechless girl’), so A.S. Pushkin already living will be only piit (inhabitant of St. Peterburg)’. Some poet in ten centuries, conceives a poem on Horace’s theme ‘Exegi monumentum’ (I arose a monument for myself. – Lat.), will say already not in Lunar light, but at least about world of Sun, but also even in Galactic world. Exactly creativeness in its proliferous forms (cognition, inventiveness, art) opens in front of man unlimited perspectives of ‘making’ ever greater immortality, ever greater learning and exploiting of time and space. ‘In man and his activity, writes M.A. Parnyuk, is presented the totality of nature, world in its infiniteness, universal mutual connections and totality. As far as it is so, as far as man is ‘measure of all existing things’, realizing at the same time his own immortality… Man is a mirror of Universe, but world of man is a world of infinity. Free creative work is in process of overcoming finality, as creating new, as conscious formation of infinity in response to aims and ideals of man. Freedom as a realization of existence of powers of man, his absoluteness and as creative conception of world along the laws of beauty also is infinity in its developed form’ (F061).
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177. Immortality is different of another immortality.
(02060319) |
|
0207 |
Potential immortality |
|
02070001
|
It is worth while to cut to earth
A footprint deeper, more visible
In order that your work stayed
Like an oak thousand years old.Стоит жить, чтоб в землю врезать
След поглубже, позаметней,
Чтоб твое осталось дело
Словно дуб тысячелетний. Musa Jalil |
|
02070002
|
Which two forms of real immortality exist?Up to now I have spoken of real immortality in different forms of activity (love and creativity). Now we will ‘turn’ 90° and scrutinize the problem of ’making’ immortality in form of limitation the activity itself and its results. Real immortality in such a case takes place in two forms: actual and potential.
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178. Actual and potential immortality.
(02070002) |
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020701 |
Actual and potential immortality |
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02070101
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What is the source of the two kinds of immortality?Although the source of immortality is one – activity of man in broad sense, it (immortality) will split into two according to how the activity bifurcates to the process of activity and the fruits of activity. The latter, even if they are the result, consequences of the process of activity, live then their own independent life, not depending of the activity of the subject that created them. This kind of dialectics of activity serves as a basis for two forms of immortality, actual and potential.
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179. Source of immortality.
(02070101) |
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02070102
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Which form of immortality is more often noticed?People above all noticed, recognized the second form, potential immortality. And up till now above all is said and written of potential immortality (in a transformed form, religious and mystic stories about the other world, beyond the coffin so to say, so also in the realistic form, in notions of glory after death, memories of posterity, about footprints after death. Already two and half thousand years ago Heraclit stated: ‘Better people prefer one before all others: eternal glory before perishable things, but the great majority stuff up their stomachs like cattle’ (F062). Somewhat rudely, sharply but truthfully expressed. Really, the better people consciously aim through their work to life for centuries. In past century Anatole France, speaking of real immortality, had in mind only ‘immortality of soul in the memory of people’: ‘We do not any more count on individual immortality; and in order to comfort the disappearance of this belief we have only a dream of different kind of immortality, intangible, disperse, which may be enjoyed only in anticipation and which also is judged only by very few of us: immortality of soul in the memory of people’ (F063). Still in our century Thomas Mann has written: ‘Timespan, longer or shorter, when not wiping our traces is called immortality’ (F064).
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180. Potential immortality.
(02070102) |
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02070103
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What kind of immortality are poets desiring to find?People simply did not understand, recognize the possibility of potential immortality, but also made it the object of their conscious efforts. Poets, as nobody else are inclined to open their inner world, intime thoughts and experiences, are writing directly of their desire to find such kind of immortality. Above already winged word was presented – Exegi monumentum. By this expression starts one of the odes of the poet Horace. In it is expressed the hope that even if he does not die his lot will be better, poetic creativity is ‘copper, bronze, dust’ he avoids death. In Russian two interpretations of Horace’s ‘Exegi monumentum’ are known. They are poems by Derzhavin and Pushkin. They are interesting not only talented expressions of basic themes of Horace’s ode, but also the facts of their realization, because they again and again consider the idea of their creative work, their life in ’making’ the immortality.
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181. ’making’ the immortality.
(02070103) |
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02070104
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What is ment by the heading 'All remains with people.'?Almost as a poet spoke C. Lamont: ‘From the birth to the death, we can live our life, work for what we consider valuable and enjoy it. We can assign our acts' significance and fill our days on the earth with thought and fury, which cannot be destroyed even by the end, the death. We can invest our unique qualities in progressive development of nations and humanity; we can give our best strength to constant ratification of life for great glory of man.’ (F065).
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182. All remains with people.
(02070104) |
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02070105
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What is meant by 'Herostratian glory'?The connection of potential immortality with action of man is well described by wise man, hero of the song ‘All remains to people’ (author S. Aleshin). In his quarrel with clergyman having pointed out that atheists who rejecting the belief in immortality, there is nothing sacred in the soul the scientist says: ‘Fight and create. That is why we are living. But otherwise, in vain we are born, for nothing existed and forever died. Man must know that after death he lives only in what he created… The other world does not exists, not even legendary… It is a sinister, defective legend, because it gives nothing as a reward for patience… Nonsense! Man needs not be patient. He must get justice for everything, means also for himself. We must say to him: ‘Those who speak to you: be patient, in the other world you will get full compensation’, cheat you. Remember: all that you managed to accomplish on the earth, is your life’. And this is the only brave and honest discussion with man. Man then starts thinking… How do I live? Don’t I pursue symbols?.. There is nothing. All remains with people. Bad things and good things. And in this we will stay my oblivion or immortality.’
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183. All remains with people.
(02070105) |
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02070106
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What is meant by 'Herostratian glory'?Speaking of potential immortality as object of conscious endeavour of man one must not forget two extremes in approach, relations to immortality. One extreme is when some try to immortalize their name to any price, go to any kind of tricks and even criminal acts to achieve fame. Famous in history is the burning of the temple of Artemid in Efeso, one of the seven miracles of the world, by Herostratus in 356 b.C. Herostratus burned it exclusively for the purpose of his own fame. From this the expression ‘Herostratian glory’. In essence the Herostratian glory is enjoyed also by Hitler. Striving to glory for the sake of glory itself is a widespread vice among people. On the basis of this strive lies the hypertrophic conception of value, importance, meaning of potential immortality.
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184. Immortalize their name to any price.
(02070106) |
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02070107
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What is meant by 'devil may care' attitude?Another extreme is ignorance of the possibility of potential immortality or, in simple words, ‘devil may care’ attitude to what will be after death. The most clearly this is expressed in the famous statement of Louis XV: ‘Après nous le deluge’ – after us the deluge. As a matter of fact, slome are not charmed by the perspectives of life after death. Striving to immortality seems to them to be empty vanity or even expression of mystic state of mind. These people leave out ot sight that potential immortality is not only life after death. It would be more correct to understand in wider sense, as relay of life. Life was given to us, we were raized and educated, we are using the services of cultural activity of previous generations. Therefore we also must give life to others, bear our mite to the treasury of human culture. Life does not lock on us, it is just a link in the chain of the life of human race. In an excellent way it was said by G.B. Shaw: I support the view that my life belongs to the society… I want fully expend myself to the moment when I die, because the more I work, the more I live. Life itself delights me. Life is for me a melting candle. This is a kind of torch which is given to my hands, and I want that it burns as brightly as possible before I give it to other generations.’ (F066). What G.B. Shaw said about himself, relates to all people. In the relay of the life of race man must strive to it that the torch of his life would not extinguish before he gives it to other people, other generations.
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185. ‘Après nous le deluge’,
‘devil may care’ attitude.
(02070107) |
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02070108
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Do animals strive to immortality?Life is a self-supporting process and, as we will see, not only in the sense of self-sustaining, but also in the sense of continuation of race, conserving and developing progress of culture. Life is truthful, wrote L.N. Tolstoy, exists only to continue what has been, helps to blessing the present and blessing the future life.’ How simply and at the same time powerfully expressed! Elsewhere Tolstoy explains, why he considers just this kind of life truthful: ‘Man can consider himself as animal among animals, living present day, he may consider himself as family member, and as member of society, nation, living centuries, may and even must unconditionally (because to this attracts his reason) consider himself as a part of the whole unending world, living unending time. And because a reasonable man had to do and always did in relation to infinitely small phenomenons of life, being able to influence its presence in the same manner as in mathematics is called integration, that is to establish, in addition to relation to the nearest phenomenons of life, his relation to all unending in relation to time and space of world, understanding it as a whole.’ (F068). All is here correct except a small stroke: Tolstoy falsely counterpositions man to animal as if living this day. Animals, as I already mentioned, are thirsting immortality in their way, they are ‘making’ it. If they lived only one day, they would have already long ago vanished from the surface of the Earth. In the counterpositioning of man and animal, his enlargement in front of animals I consider some idealistic (unrealistic) tendency in the opinions of the great poet. (F069).
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186. Man vs animal.
(02070108) |
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02070109
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Is potential immortality seen in the future?Potential immortality is seen alike in future and in past. In the future, from the point of view of what man leaves behind himself. This is the problem of footprint. In the past, from the point of view of how life is continuing and other things in it. This is the problem of continuation of the race, mastering the culture, ‘implanting’ in the culture the growing human population.
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02070110
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Who will be seeing my immortality in the future?In the first case the potential immortality is a matter of the subject’s own immortality. In the second case it survives and is mastered by those who received the relay of life from the going, leaving human generation.
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02070111
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In what sense anybody is a link in the chain of immortality?Man, striving towards immortality, must consider himself, not only on the level of life for future, for others, for future generations, but as a link in the chain of immortality, that is also in the sense that in him is continuing the life of the previoius generations. In order to have the right to his own immortality, man must experience in himself the immortality of other people living before him. If this is not the case, one may say that he is doomed to infertility and oblivion.
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187. Man as a link in the chain of immortality.
(02070111) |
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02070112
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What has standing on somebody else's shouders to do with immortality?As the life of anteriority is continued in the life of posteriority, so also the life of genes of the past is continued in us ourselves, in the life of the genes of today. Newton said turning to Gook: ‘What Descartes did, is a step forward. You added to it new possibilities… If I saw further, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants’ (F070). You see, how Newton considers: he became a giant of thoughts, because he stood on the shoulders of giants. What a prosperous expression! Clear that standing on the shoulders of giants, it is not any more a simple task. There must be climbed, be responsible, congenial. In another époque and in different context R. Schumann said, that geniuses may be understood only by geniuses. And as a matter of fact, if you understood, reasoned, experienced the work and creative activity of others, so you deserved the right to carry the torch of immortality. Yes, the matter is not only that you deserved but that you had the ignition and whether you want or not you are carrying in yourself the torch of relay. In the example of musical creativity and enjoying music this is particularly clearly seen. When you listen the music of Beethoven, Chaikovsky, or Rachmaninov, so you experience their creative activity, their thoughts and feelings, truly, as they experienced it themselves. Through music they infuse to you the fire of their soul. In this way their life continues in you. Thus not only some general moments of life, but their unrepeatable, individual image, inprinted in their creative work. Could you ever be mistaken in the symphonies of Beethoven for somebody else? No, never! You listen, for instance, his Eroica symphony and such a feeling as if he were present, on your side. Forcefully his energy, power of soul is contamining and you want to be hero and compose yourself something similar, corresponding the genius of Beethoven. So continues the life, life of race and culture.
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188. 'I stood on the shoulders of giants.'
(02070112) |
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02070113
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Above different examples were introduced of potential immortality. They show how potential immortality is versatile in its contents, appears in different guises and forms. Here is the time to speak of organizing, classifying the qualities and forms of this phenomenon of life. |
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02070114
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What are the two parameters of the potential immortality?We are seeing, at least two parametres of potential immortality: totality and profoundness (degree).
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02070115
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What is totality of potential immortality?Totality of potential immortality is immorality conditioned by totality of life, presence of basic moments in it: love, producing children, and creative activity. If one of these moments is missing, so also life is considered not total but even futile. In this case also potential immortality does not have necessary fullness.
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02070116
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What is the depth of immortality?Profoundness (degree) of potential immortality is how far in depth the insight of the man reaches in the past and how long is conserved the footprint he leaves.
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02070117
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What can be a short immortality?Truly, the shortest immortality is the immortality of love, the continuation of life in children. For it is limited by the limits of life of the children after the death of parents. Grandchildren partially continue the life of grandparents, but the offsprings born after the previous have with them a still more distant connection. But even this short potential immortality has a different profoundness, determined by how is related with it a man. If he not only gave birth to children, but also educated them so that they in their turn continue the life of the race, raise their children in the same spirit, so his potential immortality is deeper, more significant than that of those whose children do not have children. Man must be in his own way farsighted in lov and in the family life in general. It is necessary that he thinks not only children, but that he lies in them the respect to forefathers and a conscious strive to further continuation of race. For it is not a secret that parents often do not think of this side in the education of children. They either try to educate only good people (but this is utopia: only good people do not exist), or think only of professional or creative destiny of children. Children in above all other must continue the race. Their education in the spirit of respect to the childbirth, creation of life is not at all simple task. Life revenges those who forget this. How many already families whose genealogy dropped to flying out of contemptuous relation to childbirth! Degeneration, extinction threatens those human societies who lightheartedly relate to values of continuation of race.
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189. Degeneration, extinction threatens.
(02070117) |
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02070118
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How can there be different depths of immortality?Immortality of material things, creations may also have different depth. I have spoken about this above, in the previous paragraph. Immortality of creative activity may be not only a long time continuation in the life of children, but also, as said the poet, ‘bronze, stone hard’. All depends on man. Completely clear, for instance, that immortality of genius is immeasurably wider, more long in time than the immortality of talent. H. Balzac said: ‘Great geniuses have determined the centuries, some talants determine only years’. M. Montaigne said: ‘To dozen people it is allowed to see the fruits of their work; the seeds thrown by genial characters rise up slowly’.
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190. Immortality of creative activity.
(02070118) |
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02070119
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What is the duty of every creative person?Of course, not everybody can be a genius. But to aim to creativity to ever more significant achievements is the duty of every creative person. In the moral sense all more significant achievements are nothing else than all more significant services to human society. Yes, and the man himself gets the greatest satisfaction in the highest results of his activity. ‘The happiest man is the one, said D. Diderot, who gives happiness to the greatest number of people’. Really, man must take care of blessing and happiness not only in limits of his personal ‘I’, but in the scale of the whole society. Only then he will be truly happy, and his name and work survive centuries.’
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191. Duty of every creative person.
(02070119) |
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0208 |
Actual immortality |
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02080001
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Immortality will not be and was not, it is.
L.N. Tolstoy (F071) |
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02080002
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Life is eternity in miniature.
Emerson |
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02080003
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Every nab literally carries the whole
Eternity in his own existence.C. Lamont (F072) |
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02080004
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Personality is endless in itself
I.T.Frolov (F073) |
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02080005
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There are a multitude of vitnesses of philosophers, scientists, cultural activists of love and creative activity who widen the framework of life in profoundness, open in it a most genuine bottomless profoundness, that what I call actual immortality. |
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020801 |
Three principles |
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02080101
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In stead the phenomenon of actual immortality is up till now scarcely studied and thought. The term ‘actual immortality’ itself is first used, which speaks of the absense of the concept among people. If of potential immortality many and much, so of the existence of actual immortality only few understood. What is the matter here? Here three principles are stated. |
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02080102
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Why is actual immortality not seen as clearly as potential?First of all, as I already mentioned, people noticed, recocnized above all pontential immortality. This is connected with how people pay more notice on end results, fruits of activity, but as to the activity itself, to how it occurs, he does not reason, and if also reasons, that only in the second order. Potential immortality, incarnated in the footprints left behind, seems to be more visible, more real than actual immortality, experienced in the process of activity itself.
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192. Potential more important.
(02080102) |
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02080103
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What is the effect of religious concept of immortality?Secondly, the religious concept of immortality oriented people’s consciousness only to the direction of the other world, life after death, beyond the coffin that is, what I call illusory potential immortality. Life on earth the religion usually considered as something rather unstable, rapidly passing, temporary, only in the aspect of its finality (smallness, nothingness).
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193. Religious concept of immortality.
(02080103) |
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02080104
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What kind of effect had the disputes of mathematicians on the elaboration of the actual immortality?Thirdly, unexplicability of problems of actual infiniteness in and disputes of mathematicians considering the existence /inexistence of actual infiniteness has affected negatively on the elaboration of actual immortality.
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194. Disputes of mathematicians.
(02080104) |
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02080105
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* * * |
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02080106
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What kind of attitude towards immortality is implied in the sentence: 'Give it him now, in this life or do not speak of it, be quiet.'?Understanding immortality only as potential is declining. For what is the result? My mortal life is here, in reality, but my immortal life is there, in the future, after my death. This division of real life and immortality after death only little differ from the Christian division of life on earth and immortal life of soul beyond the coffin. D. Diderot, having in mind just this kind of concept of immortality wrote: “posterity to philosophers - the other world to believers”. In the journal Krokodil having in mind this kind of immortality there was a bitter joke: ‘immortality is bad because it comes after death’. Then immortality gives little to man. Give it him now, in this life or do not speak of it, be quiet.
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195. “posterity to philosophers - the other world to believers”.
(02080106) |
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02080107
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* * * |
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02080108
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Rather curious story of the birth of ideas of actual finiteness in mathematics. This is how it is described by M. Klein: |
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02080109
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“Beginning of Aristotle mathematicians introduced the difference between actual infinity of objects and potential infinity. In order to explain these concepts we will consider the growth of Universum. If it is assumed that the Universum became to existence at a certain moment of time in the distant past and will exist for ever, so its growth is potentially infinite: in any moment of time the growth of the Universum is finite, but it continues to grow and finally passes any number of years. set of (positive) whole numbers is also potentially infinite: if we take for example count to one million, we can always add to it 1,2,… But if the Universum has always existed in the past, then its growth in any moment of time is actually infinite. Analogically set of whole numbers considered in ‘ready form’ as existing totality, is actually endless, infinite. |
196. The set of whole numbers is actually endless, infinite.
(02080109) |
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02080110
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The question of must the infinite magnitude of actually or potentially infinite be considered as having long history… According to Aristotle actual infinity is not needed in mathematics… The following discussion often only obscured the essence of this matter, because mathematicians spoke of infinity as a number, without giving clear definition of the concept of infinity and did not express the properties of this concept. So Euler rather lightheartedly confirmed in his Algebra (1770), that 1/0 is infinity, although did not consider it necessary to define, what such infinity is, but only introduced its symbol as ∞. Without a shade of hesitation Euler confirmed also, that 2/0 is twice as much as 1/0. Still more misunderstanding was caused in the cases when the use of the symbol ∞ in the description of limits at n was concerned (for instance for the marking of 1/n at the vicinity of n, tending to ∞, equal to 0). In similar cases the symbol ∞ signifies only that n grows without limits and may assume any greater (but finite!) meanings, having difference between 0 and 1/n becomes as small as is wanted. The necessity of handling actual infinity in those situations does not exist. |
197. Mathematical infinity ∞
(02080110) |
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02080111
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Majority of mathematicians (Galilei, Leibnitz, Koshi, Gauss and others) distinctly understood the difference between potentially unending and actually unending sets and made an exception in the case of actually unending set. If it was necessary for him to speak of the set of all rational numbers, so they refused to include into this set the number, its potential. Descartes stated: ‘The infinity is distinguished, but not recognized.’ Gauss wrote in 1831 to Schumacher: ‘In mathematics the infinite quantity must never be used as infinite; the infinite is nothing more than a façon de parler (way of speaking), demarcating limit, to which some values tend, when some others diminish without limits.’ |
198. façon de parler
(way of speaking)
(02080111) |
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02080112
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This way, introducing infinite set, Cantor was against traditional conception of infiniteness, used by great mathematicians of the past. His position Cantor tried to argument referring that the potential infinity actually depends of logically preceding to it actual infiniteness. Cantor referred also to it that decimal presentation of irrational numbers, for instance, the number √2 (square root of 2), represent in themselves actually infinite set, as far as any finite part of gives only finite approximation of the irrational number. Recognizing how sharply he differs in his views from those of his predecessors, Cantor confessed with bitterness in 1883: ‘I turned out to be in a kind of opposition with the generally accepted views of mathematical infinity and often advocated judgments about the nature of numbers’ (F074) |
199. √2 (square root of 2)
(02080112) |
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02080113
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It is interesting to notice that as comparing actual and potential infinity the second presentation is for mathematicians more understandable, intuitively clear and correspondingly more justified (corresponding reality) form of infinity. To this pays attention G.I. Ruzavin (F075). |
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02080114
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Why is actual infinity completely explainable from the standpoint of philosophy?The difficulty of understanding and accepting of actual infinity is completely explainable from the philosophic standpoint. At the time when potential infinity means exit from the framework of finality, is seen precisely as infinity, actual infinity is situated as if being inside the finality, in the disguise of its enemy. Its completeness is conceived as its finality, it is destruction. When the finality and potential infinity are confronted, the former is considered as something inner, self sufficient, positive, but second as something outer, produced, negative. But that is just the question that finality is not something inner, self sufficient. The outer (outer character) is, so to say, the essential definition of finality. When we are judging the finality of something, so we always confront this something with other, such that is outside, outside the framework of something. The finality is not a self-definition of anything. Only at the border, in the relation of, in coaction nothing with other (others) is established, defined the finality of nothing. On the contrary, a protracted infinity is the inner, self sufficient; it is not outside nothing, but inside. (A demonstrating example: to a living man it seems, particularly in youth, that life is endless, non-ending, without end.) As we only exit outside the framework of nothing, there is nothing, we finish it, as if to show him his limits. From this we see, that potential infinity, which also means ‘exit outside the framework’, is on its way to inverted finality or negative inprint of finality. True, differing from finality, in its accent, it is not done within its ‘framework’, but in ‘exit’ for something.
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200. Understanding and accepting of actual infinity.
(02080114) |
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02080115
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Which is closer to finality: actual or potential infinity?As we see, not actual, but potential infinity is nearer to finality.
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02080116
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For the century of his development theoretic magnitude mathematics has emptied the strong nucleus of science. It is already long time united with the classical direction of mathemati S.C. Cluny, for example, wrote: ‘In the classical mathematics the infinity is considered as actual, or finished, or widened, or existential. The infinite magnitude is considered as existing in the form of perfected totality, until also independing of all process of generation or composition of it by man, as if it completely would lie in front of us for being observed. In the intuitivistic mathematics the infinity is considered only as potential, or being in the process of formation, or being constructive’ (F076). And the whole concept of actual infinity turned out to be as a hard nut for many mathematicians, scientists and philosophers. Up to now continue the quarrels of whether or not something corresponds to this concept of something in the real world or it is only an instrument of recognition. |
201. Theoretic set mathematics.
(02080116) |
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02080117
|
* * * |
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02080118
|
In connection with the reasoning of the problem of actual immortality the name of Hegel must not be forgotten. In one of his works he with all clarity placed and solved, true enough in his own way, as idealist, the question about the actual immortality. He, in the first place, rereasoned the religious idea of immortality of soul as the immortality of reason, thinking, cognition, that is in essence in the realistic sense, as creative immortality of man. (‘… man is immortal thanks to cognition, because only in the quality of thinking he is not mortal, animal soul, but clean, free soul. Cognition, thinking, is the nucleus of its life, his immortality, because cognition is the totality in itself’ (F077)). Secondly, he stressed, that immortality must not be understood only as potential, of the other world: ‘As the immortality of soul is concerned, it does not mean that one can imagine that it only later becomes real; this quality, present already in actuality; soul is eternal, but consequently, it is eternal now, in the actuality; soul in its freedom does not exist in the restricted sphere, for it, as reasoning, as knowing, the means is universal and this is eternality, which does not appear as simple continuity, as continuously exist mountains, but is knowledge. Eternity of soul is here not cognized, it is in this recognition, in the very outburst, which came to itself to infinity, to existence for itself’ (F078). These statements of Hegel completely correspond to his conception of true infinity as isolated in itself, in totality present, of this world. |
202. Problem of actual immortality.
(02080118) |
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02080119
|
Hegel completely justifiedly noticed, that we are as conscious beings actually immortal. As a matter of fact, whether we do not embrace intellectual look temporary intervals, which practically uninterruptedly exceed temporary intervals of our private life. And every year, decade the human being ever more and more moves the time limitations of of the surrounding world. Two three hundred years in all ago scientists counted real time of the world in some thousands of years. Now they speak of tens of billions of years (such are the scales of existence of metagalactics). Philosophers, liberally reasoning the problems of infinity, immortality, in this way confirm their implication of infinity, and immortality. |
203. Philosophers confirm their implication of infinity, and immortality.
(02080119) |
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02080120
|
* * * |
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02080121
|
Here is what another philosopher has thought of actual immortality. In a recently published book “О смысле жизни и смерти” (About the idea of life and death) by N.N. Trubnikov we read: |
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02080122
|
’… the problem of death, the fear of death and fear of nonexistence can be satisfactorily solved in dependency from problems of fulfilling our present life, problems of present fulfilling of our present life. It means, we must turn, not to the past, not to the future, but to the present. And if we succeed to find in it the possibility of life, if we will live in it not in order to live in the future or the day after tomorrow, we have also satisfactorily solved the problem of death. If we will live in it because we live now, hereand today, so it is not yet time to turn around us, all time leaving somewhere in the periphery of the movement of life, it is not going by us, like the scenery by a running train or coast by a sailing boat (our common very contrary illusion of accepting time, accepting by all of us the habit of following by hands of a clock and turning pages of a calendar). No, we ourselves, far from like train, like a chained by locomotive wagon along the anticipatively laid rails and in advance known stations, but like a ship, be it like a frail boat, will orient our way to a known Purpose in the ocean of eternity, having onboard a chosen load of knowledge and memories. And then we must ourselves choose, whether we go with the wind, where it blows, where the blind hunch pulls us or against the wind, even if manoeuvring, making halses to the left an to the right, but unbendingly approaching the freely chosen Purpose. |
204. Man can create and own his future by forming and owning the present.
(02080122) |
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02080123
|
This new timeconcept is still not giving us the Purpose, but it helps us to take on us the responsibility for directing the movement. It does not hand us the remunerations for handling the steering wheel and compass, but it arises the necessity of one and the other, turns out as a necessary condition of taking the responsibility for ones own personal destiny. It helps man to understand that it is possible also not to give up on the mercy of wind and wave, that also in his small boat he must not just wait, what happens to him, not wait life, what it is giving or when it is doing it, but to search and create it. Not just wait, where the iron rails of necessity, although they existed, or random windflaws, but choose, where, with whom and with what to move now. And, choosing the way, creating one’s present, fulfilling it, man himself turns out to be able to choose, to fulfill his future, work on it in a uniquely valuable manner, that is to form it, to own it’ |
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02080124
|
Yes, really, man can create and own his future by forming and owning the present. N.N. Trubnikov in a somewhat ornated way, but truly to its essence has described the actual immortality and its connection with potential immortality. |
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02080125
|
* * * |
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02080126
|
What kind of things can widen the limits of life?The hours of love, creation in a real manner widen the limits of life. ‘Happy hours are not noticed’ by Griboedov is a very correct statement. For love, as if time would not exist. ‘In the apogee of closeness, writes Y. Rurikov, man experiences a completely particular status, when suddenly time vanishes and everything around disappears, and nothing is left behind. Man exceeds all chains of space and time, his all connections with the world. In him stays only the limitless existence, one only, but with such blinding power that it obscures millions of his thoughts, concepts, habits, feelings, memories’ (F080).
|
205. The hours of love, creation.
(02080126) |
|
02080127
|
And the question is not only of love (as if its disconnection of real time and space). The love itself contains in itself a bottomless experience, existence, movement. Y. Rurikov writes about this: ‘Many, of course, have noticed that in different moments of life the judgments of time differ completely. Particularly sharply changes the feeling in time of love. In hours of love time disappears, disappears almost literally, you do not feel it, it ceases to exist. Of this strange feeling has written Rolland in a scene of Christof and Ada. And together with it every second is felt with such bottomless feelings that time as if stays on the spot and of one beat of pulse to the other there is an eternity. Time of love as if consisted of endless moments in itself, but these eternities are momentary, eternities of fulminancy. And this eternity of a second and this transcience of hours merge in themselves, and give birth to one another. (my italics – L.B.)’ (F081). |
|
02080128
|
* * * |
|
02080129
|
What is the formula of potential immortality?Actual immortality is nothing else, but enabling of finality by infinity, transition by eternity. If we denote finality by K, and infinity by B, the the formula for enabling of finality by infinity is K-B-K. This is a formula of potential immortality. (Corresponding to formula of potential immortality is: B-K-B). Actual immortality can be big or small depending on the depth of enabling. And it depends on man. V.G. Belinsky said about this well: ‘To live means to feel and to think, suffer and be happy, every other life is death. And the more content comprises in itself our feeling and thinking, the stronger and deeper our ability to suffer and be happy, the more we live: a moment of such life is more essential than hundred years of being in apathetic somnolence, in petty action for insignificant Purposes.’
|
206. Enabling of finality by infinity, transition by eternity.
(02080129) |
|
02080130
|
How can time have different degrees of depth?Time has for man different values, different degrees of depth. The more he works and the more important actions in his life occur, the sharper, deeper is the feeling of every moment of his life, the more intensively runs his life. ‘Do not think of seconds from height’ sound the words of a famous song. As a matter of fact, there are such seconds of life that make it immortal.
|
|
02080131
|
In what sense is time comparable to rubber band?Of the fact that time is something rubberlike, stretching or shrinking, people knew already long ago. Seneca has written: ‘Life is long, if it is full… We measure it with events but not with time’.
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207. Life measured with events.
(02080131) |
|
02080132
|
Of this has written Leonardo da Vinci: genuine greatness of the time used is determined by how he understands to use it (F082). With it joins Gerolamo Cardano: long life is short, if it is filled with excellent deeds, stamped to eternal monument of history; and he lives wisely, long and happy who uses every moment to work with things that save his glory to end of times |
|
02080133
|
German proverb sounds: ’diligency makes two of one day’. Descriptive is a heading of V.I. Demidov’s book: ‘Rubberlike moments’. This is what is said in this section: |
|
02080134
|
‘Result, we do not only feel the run of time, but even measure it with our inner scale? Perhaps not only day and night, but also hours, even minutes? And why not also seconds? |
208. Резиновые мгновения (Rubberlike moments).
(02080134) |
|
02080135
|
‘I cannot stand up, when again lie down. When I sit on a chair, I think that it is already the end of lunch and I must stand up. I sometimes wonder, whether I in two three minutes managed to eat lunch. I often refuse to believe, when they say to me that some hours passed. Can time pass so quickly? Why is it so? Why does it not pass as it seems to me?’ |
|
02080136
|
Freeze the whole world. Grief. People are moving too slowly. All are passing by to somewhere. Time stopped. It ran and freezed. I died or never will die. I know that the hand moves in our clocks, but this is only apparent movement… You approach me from another time’. |
|
02080137
|
This is not quotations from an fantacy novel of unknown intruders, learning to manage time. This speaks a man affected by a heavy handicap, maniac and depressive psychose. In the maniac phase stormy excitation, in depressive a deep apatia, continuing sometimes for months. And time to hurry in gallop follows slow motion. Exitemeant, apatia… What connection they have with the feeling of time? (...) |
|
02080138
|
Why can you say that time is not counted with the evenness of chronometer?Yes, time is not counted with the evenness of chronometer. ‘As always in sharp situations, hesitation, moving ahead and started to use some strange ‘double’ calculation of scale of time. Every second owns a fancy property of unlimited, as far as is needed, to stretch: as many things manages to do a man in such situations’, reminds us the flyer and experimenter M.L. Gallai of one of many ‘cases’, in which him occurred to jump into air. (...)
|
|
02080139
|
So, whether we are animated or apathetic, experience pleasant feelings or unpleasant, turn out to be to the limit loaded with work or will be compelled to receive occurrences ‘as they are’, in every case, one and the same unit of time turns out to be psychologically different’ (F084). |
|
02080140
|
V. Demidov in the following manner enlightens the phenomenon of rubberlike time: |
209. Rubberlike time.
(02080140) |
|
02080141
|
'If the experience of the length of a slice of time really depends of how many ‘bearing points’ were conserved in the memory, remain understandable also such paradox: old people complain that life went like a bpara, but for children everything seems that years go by too slowly (…)’ For a child ‘every hour lived opens as something unknown, curious. Memory registers new facts, thus also feeling of slowly running time. But grown-up person with stable manners and habits, his life days are one like another, and means that there are not informatively valuable occurrences, hooks for memory, so time subjectively hastens its run. |
|
02080142
|
Measure of information is measure of unexpectedness of information. Its nontriviality’ (F085). |
|
02080143
|
Yes, novelty is the factor, thanks to what the life of man intensifies. It is the measure of actual immortality. The more novelties in the life of man, the more it lasts. Particularly valuable is that novelty, which emerges in the acts of love and creative activity. They are valuable, because they are not novelties because of novelties. Novelty in love and creative activity is constructive, leads to new novelty, widens the limits of life not only actually, but also potentially (emerge as actual immortality, as also potential). |
|
02080144
|
One must live so, as to a day were felt like a year, a year like a life. |
|
02080145
|
The fact that life in itself is not like itself, shows original black openings of life, such as emptiness of life, boredom, roothlessness. They are a partial death, nonexistence within existence non-life within life itself. Emotional expression of such an emptiness is boredom. But it, by a clever expression of S.J. Marschak ‘yawns of non-existence’. |
|
0209 |
Active old age |
|
02090001
|
For the idiot old age is a burden, for the bride winter,
but for scientist the golden autumn.Voltaire |
|
02090002
|
Not he is old who is far from cradle,
but he who is near the tomb.From radiospectacle |
|
02090003
|
Above I treated the mutual connection of mortality and immortality on the general level, without relation to concrete time limits of individual existence of man. Here, however, is still one question, which usually is neglected by philosophers and only recently attracted their interest. It is the problem of active old age. Recognizing that the finality of is something unavoidable, people started to think about it, but could not the limits of the finite existence be widened, could not the youth, life be continued and so on. We remember the saying of Goethe: ’Stop, movement, you are excellent!’ This is, of course, a dream. But why a dream should not be allowed on the earth, get its form in front of a concrete Purpose, in order to in some extent approach to our dream?! Some reason as follows: if we are mortal, sooner or later die, so why to care still of the prolongation of life with some extra years and in general, what a fuss to count years, to strive to live as long as possible, not regarding to senility, weakness etc. For such people it is equal, how long to live, forty or eighty years. Really, this type of people exist. These are in general short-lived. They are psychologically so tuned that they would particularly care of its length. Majority of people will prefer to not only live, but to live as long as possible. And this is normal. |
210. To live as long as possible.
(02090003) |
|
02090004
|
Generally among the real contradictions of life exist also this antithesis of short and long life. Rather significant dispute of two famous writers, 32 year old Karel Csapek and 65 year old George Bernard Shaw. The latter wrote philosophic drama ‘Back to Methusalem’, praising long life. Karel Csapek answered to him writing the comedy ‘The means of Makropoulos’. G.B. Shaw lived to the age of 94 years. Karel Csapek to the age of 48. These writers with their lives showed the antithesis of short and long life. |
211. Antithesis of short and long life.
(02090004) |
|
02090005
|
The problem of long life is not deducible from the problem of mankind, nor from that of creative immortality. It is not accidental that those writing of the theme of mortality and immortality, as a rule, are ignoring this problem and even present it unilaterally in negative light. And even for this there are reasons. In the raw the aim to long life, to as long a life as possible turns to a mere aim to add years to life, but not life to years. |
|
02090006
|
As there are long-living persons, whom it is all the same, how long they live, there are also long-life-fanatics to whom to try to live as long as possible has become an end in itself. From this extreme behavior people tell examples of long-lived plantlike ‘endearing’ as in the world literature of the 100 year of life of a very clever fish from the tale of M.E. Saltykov-Shtshedrin or equally long life of Timothy Forsythe from the Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy. |
|
02090007
|
M.E. Saltykov-Shtshedrin very clearly described the worthless life of the very clever fish, the missing of some property and anxiety of life length, that is, of the quantity of life. Here please the opening of his tale: |
|
02090008
|
“And the very clever fish lived this way more than hundred years. All time shivering, just shivering. He had no friends, nor relatives, nobody to whom, nobody to him. He does not play cards, wine does not drink, cigarets does not smoke, with girls of red lamps has nothing to do, he just shivers and just one thought he thinks: thanks to God! it seems that I am alive!...
How many years beyond hundred is not known, only was the wise fish to die. Lies in the den and thinks: thanks to God, I am dying my death like died my mother and father. And suddenly he remembered the pike’s words: if only all lived that way that the wise fish lives… But what, as a matter of fact, was then happening?
He started to break his brain, what kind of den he had and suddenly somebody whispered to him: see, the whole fish family changed already long ago!
Unjustly assume those who think that only those fish can be considered as worthy of price, which mad of fear are sitting in their dens and shivering. No, these are not gratified, but useless fish. None of them has warmth, nor cold, neither honor, nor dishonor, neither fame nor disgrace… they are living in vain they occupy place and eat nutrition.
All this was imagined distinctly and clearly, that suddenly he had enormous desire: I must get out of den and swim out all the river long! But as soon as he thought of this he again got afraid. And started to shiver, and died and shivered.
The whole life in a flash ran by. What were his joys? Whom he consoled? To whom gave good advice? To whom said good word? Whom gave shelter, warmed up, defended? Who heared of him? Who remembers his existence?
And to all these questions he was compelled to answer: to none, nobody.
He lived and shivered – only and that’s all. Even now, his death being imminent, he just shivered, does not know, why. In the den he had twilight, dark, dense, nowhere to turn; no ray of sun there can be seen, warmth is not smelled. And he lies in this dense fog, seeing nothing, powerless, needed by nobody, lies and waits: when, finally, the hunger death finally liberates him from useless existence?” |
212. 100 years of life of a very clever fish.
(02090008) |
|
02090009
|
Timothy Forsythe in the Saga of Forsyte of John Galsworthy is an entertaining example of meaningless existence of man, sacrificing the qualities of life for the quantity. He was the only person in England, who did not know that the first World War begun, and then ended. In England Victoria was changed to Edward on the throne, and him, George, the government was changed, economic programs were changed and political slogans, modes changed, hairstyles, habits, but Timothy did not know of anything, 100 years he was occupied by one thing only, the shore of his life. |
213. Timothy Forsythe.
(02090009) |
|
02090010
|
The antithesis of short and long life more often than not is expressed in this counterposition of quality and quantity of life. Some are ready to sacrifice or sacrifice the quantity of life in the name of its quality, but some others, on the contrary, are ready to sacrifice or sacrifice the quality in the name of its quantity. Really, sometimes emerge situations ‘either or’. In the name of high quality of life man can condemn himself to short flashlike life. Such a man is hero. He risks or is compelled to risk in exclusive circumstances. Whole professions exist, warriors’, lifeguards’, experimenters’ and so on, in which the quantity of life is sacrificed to its quality. On the other hand, being afraid of risk, people sacrifice the qualities of life in the name of its quantity. Their life, although long, but flavorless, dull. |
214. Quality & quantity of life.
(02090010) |
|
02090011
|
Striving to long life, if it is not followed by striving to respectable life, is meaningless. Long life because of long life is equal to passion of accumulation, to making money for the sake of money. Not the existence for the sake of existence, but active, that is, life rich of feelings, ideas, activity, that is the Purpose for genuine man! |
|
02090012
|
Truly happy are those people, who know how to unite quality and quantity of life, for whom there are no situations of ’either or’: add life to years or years to life. |
215. Add life to years or years to life.
(02090012) |
|
02090013
|
In the light of what is said there are the erroneous opinions of some philosophers about that quality of life is more important than its quantity. |
|
02090014
|
These opinions are in themselves interesting. I am presenting some of them. See what writes for instance Seneca: |
|
02090015
|
”It is not necessary to care of how to live long, but of how to life satisfied. Will you live long, depends on fate, will you live in plenty, depends on your mind”.
“I beg you, my dear Lucius, try to get that our life were like precious stones, would not be marked by its quantity, but of its heaviness. We will measure it by deeds, not by time of duration”.
“Man can be complete and by feeble corps – so also life can be complete and in shor time. The stature belongs to the number of outer things. How long I will live, depends not on me, how far I come depends on me.” (F086)
“Life is a drame: that is not so important, whether it is long, but that it is well played. It does not relate to the matter, whether you cut it here or there. Where you want there break it, if only the outcome is good” (F087).
Here the opinion of Epictet: “Life that is short, but honest, always prefer to life long and shameful”.
|
|
02090016
|
Gloryful, of course, is the striving of these philosophers to underline the meaning of the quality of life, but not at the cost of loss of the other constituent of it, the quantity (longevity, duration)! Duration, longevity of life – as quantitatively timely category is far from being without meaning for life, its quality, as it is imagined to it. |
|
020901 |
Why do people strive to live as long as possible and why one needs to live as long as possible? |
|
02090101
|
Give three reasons why people strive to live as long as possible and why one needs to live as long as possible?One must live as long as possible:- for the first, because only during years one collects experience, knowledge, understanding, and the longer one lives, the richer and more productive is the experience, the wider and deeper one’s knowledge and the more complete his understanding. Wisdom is gained along years, and the more years, the wiser the person.
- Secondly, one must live as long as possible in order to accomplish big things, such that reach outside some years or some decades of life, which require exceeding the usual length of life.
- Thirdly, one must live as long as possible in order to render one’s experience to younger generations, in order to ancestors and siblings (grandgrand… parents and grandgrand… children) would have possibility to living contact, in order that situations existed, where there are not change of generations, but reproduction, increase in number of generations.
* * *
|
|
02090102
|
The contradiction of mortality and immortality finds, so to say, its immediate solution in the struggle for the continuation of life, in active long life. The problem of longevity is a special problem, having for man and mankind relatively independent meaning. It manifests mobility, conditionality of limits between finality and infiniteness of existence. Thanks to it people have been conscious that infinity and finality are insatiable, not able to remove the contradiction, that between them there are temporary connections. Striving to longevity means transition (even if small, partial) from finality to infiniteness of existence, from mortality to immortality, going outside the frame of purely finite existence, moving to the side of infinite existence. This striving materializes in different forms and on different levels. |
216. Moving to the side of infinite existence.
(02090102) |
|
02090103
|
On the level of separate persons the task to refresh life is solved, thus establish a healthy model of life, in order to lengthen it up to maximal frame of specific prolongation of life of man as the representative of the species of ‘homo sapiens’. This limit according to different assessments is equal to 120-150 years. |
217. 120-150 years.
(02090103) |
|
02090104
|
Can the length of life be prolonged?On the level of mankind the scientific and practical task to move outside the specific length of life of man, is to change the genetic program of terminating the individual life to the side of its maximal possible prolongation. Already now scientists are working with the riddle of genetic mechanism limiting the specific the continuation of human life. Definitively they will disclose this mechanism and find the means of influence on it to the direction of significant prolongation of life. I am convinced: the time is not far that people will live full-valued life up to 1000 years and more. And this is the most modest prognose.
|
218. To change the genetic program.
(02090104) |
|
02090105
|
Why people die with the length of life that nature has given to them? It is allowed to answer with question to question: but why, as a matter of fact, people must be satisfied with this this length of life? Whether the given final number of years is given by nature for all times? No. The first living organism on Earth have existed from division to division some few hours. After three and a half billions of years of life this life time of individual organism grew from some hours to some decades with the highest animals and people, that is, some 200 000 times. It is completely natural to suppose that nature necessarily does not stay on the reached lifetime but will go on to prolong the life. There are no grounds to assume that 100 years of life are ordered for man for eternity. If man – the peak of evolution – lives 200 000 times longer than the most simple living organisms, it means that the kind of situation is also possible that nature in the face of man, becoming forward, becoming more complicated and more complete, overcomes new limits in the prolongation of life – 200 000 times compared to present 100 years. |
219. New limits in the prolongation of life.
(02090105) |
|
02090106
|
We, people – living creatures, a part of living nature. On the other hand, we do not only continue living nature, but established the special, human world and are living along its rules, contrary to living nature, despite it. The nature established in us a defined cycle of development – birth, growth, maturity, old age, death. We, of course, have not been able, up to now, to change this cycle, take away of it two phases, old age and death. But it is in our powers to delay the beginning of the old age debility and death following it. Earlier how it was. Man lived to a great part like animal and old age came as obligatory. Thougt that old age debility was not to be changed, that if it was prescribed to the mankind to get old, crippled, experience sickness, get weight, loose powers etc. so it be. To another old person you say: You have got extra weight, and he answers: so it happened, it belongs to the age. And really, if you live like animals (as the nature presumes), so with the transition from maturity to old age the satiated life unavoidably leads to excess weight, fatness. Nowadays, however, many people think different. They reason for instance this way: we, reasonable beings, know already much, understand and therefore must direct, correct the natural course of life, oppose in certain cases the natural process. If nature established in us a gradual degradation of the ability to move after the creative period (20-30 years), the gradual increase of appetite to excess (consequences of sensitiveness to nutrition), so we must set back it: not weaken the motionary activity, keep it in optimal level, eat not corresponding to appetite, but taking into account the consumption of calories. As a matter of fact, every one of us, of those who lives 35 and more years has felt in himself a fatal diminishing of motion activity and as a consequence of it, dimishing easiness, flexibility, increase of weight, appearance of fat layer, slowing acceleration and fortifying various kinds of illness. Everybody unvoluntarily has observed in oneself that laziness increased, as did willingness to peaceful life, to passive rest, started quicker to get tired etc. With decreased motioning activity people get weaker, and weakening, sooner get tired. Being tired brings the desire to rest, that is to still more decreased motioning activity. A vicious circle emerges: decreased motioning activity – tiredness – rest – decreased motioning activity and so on until death. |
220. A vicious circle.
(02090106) |
|
02090107
|
As it seems to us, everybody, if he does not want to just swim in the flow of life and be the slave ot nature, must in certain phase of life, work for himself a program of wholesome, active, long life. This must really be a program, because the human life depends of so many ‘things’. If someone thinks, that he or she is able to provide active old age with the help of some pills or some diets or even some physical exercises, he or she is deeply mistaken. Complicated measures, activity, living conditions are needed. This is not obligatory not only special measures and activity to attain old age, not obligatorily some special living conditions. If life is full-valued, so it becomes with other normal conditions long and happy. |
221. A program of wholesome, active, long life.
(02090107) |
|
020902 |
What must be done in order to live long and happy? |
|
02090201
|
This author for himself worked out such a program of harmonious development and active old age: |
|
02090202
|
Give a program for active old age!- Constant orientation to full-valued life, active old age, spiritual boldness, optimism, joy and love of life.
- Favorite work, creative activity.
- Love, family, children.
- Spiritual development, constant contact with human spiritual culture.
- Physical development, regular physical strain, versatile training of body, motioning way of life.
- Rational, full-valued, balanced ecologic pure nutrition.
- Physical and psychological warming up, increased resistance of organism to different disturbing factors.
- Contact to people, equilibrium of conversation and loneliness. Life corresponding to the golden rule of behavior: ‘do not do to others, what you would not want them to do to you’ and ‘do to others, as you wish them to do to you’.
- Observing of equilibrium between work and rest, between active and passive rest, excitement and relaxation.
- Staying if possible in favorable environmental conditions.
|
222. The Balashov program.
(02090202) |
|
02090203
|
As we can see, this program takes into account practically all factors and conditions of life. The author does not, however, pretend that this program be considered as a model. It is completely possible to make other versions of programs. People are very different both according to their genetics and to their education, and to their conditions of life. Here cannot be chablons. |
|
0210 |
Virtual immortality |
|
02100001
|
What is virtual immortality?Connected with the appearance and development of computer technology people gained the possibility to form virtual twins, which can serve them in life and in a certain sense continue their lives after physical death. In the case of lifetime conversation with the virtual twin an interesting possibility emerges to codevelopment and co-creativity. In the case of postmortal existence of the virtual twin emerges possibility as if continuing life after physical death, in a virtual way.
|
|
02100002
|
Can creativity be continued virtually after the death?I will not speak of others, but of what could be done with my life: all my texts (and diaries, documents and writings), all photographs, recordings, videos could be placed into the virtual space and a program created of the virtual behavior (by way of extrapolation of lifetime behavior and created by my texts). As a result emerges a possibility to virtual conversation with me also after my existence. I in a certain way could continue living also after the death. And just because my texts (thoughts, ideas, views) of lifetime behavior, appearance, picture with new reality and new problems (of those people who virtually converse with me) there could be as if (virtually) a continuation of my creative activity, that is, continuation of create, develop and give grounds to ideas, give evaluation and suggest solutions. This is completely possible, as far as my basic philosophic ideas are sufficiently general and can be confronted with new and changed reality deflect and concretisized in the way of private ideas and thoughts as long time as it is desired.
|
223. Virtual continuation of creativity.
Possibility to virtual conversation with me also after my existence. (02100002) |
|
0211 |
Finality and infinity of existence |
|
02110001
|
Such a testimony of the relation to death by L.N. Tolstoy exists: “Highly valued graph Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, wrote I.N. Janzhul, had in his late years the weakness to speak very willingly of death… I remarked to him as a consolation (at the beginning of 90’s at the meeting at the Moscow university – L.B.), for what reason he was so occupied with this question of death, as he because of his great works already was immortal during lifetime and so will be after death. To this he answered to me: ‘Yes I will not be feeling and not be conscious of anything’ (F088). In this testimony is established the opinion of a creative person, who cannot be reconciled with the unavoidability of death. Struggle for active old age solves the problem of prolongation of life only to some limit. Be it that it will be 120, 1000, 200 000 years, but a man sooner or later confronts the situation of death, when his body changes to cadaver, that is to nothing. |
|
02110002
|
Neither the ’making’ of immortality in the above given sense, nor active longevity do in fact solve the problems of mortality and/or immortality. |
|
02110003
|
In general, can the death be abolished from the human life?The question of whether in general the death can be abolished from the human life? I already said that death as evolutionary phenomenon of life emerged in the phase of sexual reproduction of multicellular organisms. The transition of body to carcass evidently is not an absolute necessity for all living creatures.
|
|
02110004
|
Can some other means of termination of life, not so destructive as death, be found?Life as such does not carry in itself the embryo of death. It, indeniably carries in itself the embryo of change, transformation, but not that of death, and even less that of destruction. An absolute meaning of termination must not be attached to death. Mortality having a private significance must not be equalized with finality carrying an universal all over meaning. Yes, all really existing contains in itself the moment of termination – such a dialectic of finality and infinity. But from this does not follow that living finds its end only by death. The latter is only one of the ‘means’ of termination of living. Unicellular organisms, dividing during milliards of years, live final time (from one division to another). But they do not know death. Death as a complete destruction of multicellular organism to primary organic and nonorganic molecules emerged in a certain phase of formation of living nature. It is completely possible that man with time finds another means of termination of life, not so destructive as death. It is not excluded that changing correspondingly the genetic program he can quit the death.
|
224. Finding another means of termination of life, not so destructive as death.
(02110004) |
|
02110005
|
Can some other means of transfer of personality to another be found, without the transition of body to cadaver?A further formation of living nature (already in the phase of human society) can bring forth the liquidation of death in the sense of transition of body to cadaver, and instead replace complete destruction with transition of one living to another in reminiscence of unicellular organisms, in the sense that a person having lived a certain period of time as if transforms to another person, conserving in this the basic constituencies of his ego. The finality of existence remains as a moment of life, but it will not carry the character of death in the sense of complete destruction.
|
|
02110006
|
Death (as a transition of body to cadaver) has been necessary moment in the phase of development of multicellular organisms and to a certain extent justified in the phase of development of human race till a certain point of time. This is connected primarily with the limitedness of living space and resources. |
|
02110007
|
Can the living space of man really be extended outside the Earth into the outer space?In reality, at every moment both the living space and the resources are limited. But who said that together with the solution of the problem of increase of lifetime the humanity does not solve also the problem of increasing the living space and resources?! Of course, if the starting point is the assumption that mankind lives only on Earth, then it is not difficult to forecast the moment when as a result of population growth and increase of lifetime overpopulation and extinction of resources are a fact. Fact is that this assumption is based on past experience in evolution of life and does not take into account the conquer of cosmic space. Most often it is tried just to show the natural course and necessity of death referring to living nature, in which the destruction of organisms and change of generations is conditioned by struggle for existence and limitedness of the resources of the earth. But what is true for living nature, must not be mechanically transferred to human society. People in difference of animals, find ever newer and newer energy sources and in this process there is no end. Time will come when death ceases to be justified from the evolutionary point of view, as a limitation of living masses. With the construction of manageable thermonuclear reaction and conquer (population) of cosmic space people practically enable for themselves unlimited resources and may increase their lifetime and multiply themselves to whatever limits.
|
225. ...solve also the problem of increasing the living space and resources?!
(02110007) |
|
02110008
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Humanity already now must place in front of it the task of liquidation of death, that is, of replacement of it with some mechanism of transition, which would allow a more soft chnge of ‘me’ to another ‘me’ without the first ‘me’ being spared from the horror of complete destruction and dissolution. The following second ‘me’ after the first ‘me’ must inherit not only the genetic program of the first, but also its brain, conscience, personality. This inheritance must be similar to how our ‘me’ to maturity or old age follows after our ‘me’ in childhood or youth. Because it is no secret that we are different in different etaps of the journey of life. We, of course, are sorry that the childhood has gone by, youth has gone by, that we are others. But notwithstanding mourning of bygone years, of that we are others, is not to be compared with that we sometime do not exist, that our ‘me’ vanishes. |
226. The second ‘me’ after the first ‘me’.
(02110008) |
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02110009
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02110010
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Yes, an absolute individual immortality is not possible, but possible and realizable is infinitesimal approach to the ideal of absolute immortality. |
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02110011
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Can individual immortality be approached as perpetum mobile is approached by developing more and more energy containing resources?The idea of individual immortality is related to the idea of perpetum mobile. In the essence, they are ideal twins. They are false in their absolute, in the limiting expression, but true in the sense of asymptotic approach to some limit. This may be seen in the example of the idea of perpetum mobile. This idea is based on the assumption that energy may be gained from nothing. If instead of the word ‘nothing’ we replace the expression ‘more and more energy containing resources’, then this assumption becomes justified. As a matter of fact, the history of the development of energetics is such that the mankind consequently solved and continues to solve the energy problem with more and more effective energy resources. First there was fire wood, then coal, then gasoline, and gas. In the present time energy is produced from nuclear fission. The turn is to produce energy by thermonuclear synthesis, which gives mankind practically inexhausting source of energy. People almost literally will get energy from nothing. Is not this the realization of the fabled dream about perpetum mobile!
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227. Individual immortality is related to the idea of perpetum mobile.
(02110011) |
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02110012
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What are the perspectives of individual immortality on the side of religion and as a scientific and practical task?So also the idea of individual immortality. In the religious tale it is disputable, foolish. But as scientific and practical task the ‘making of immortality’ is not that, not disputable, but necessary and solvable.
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