19. Immortality Part II; The value of life, Part I

Death (PHIL 176)

The lecture begins with further exploration of the question of whether it is desirable to live forever under the right circumstances, and then turns to consideration of some alternative theories of the nature of well-being. What makes a life worth living? One popular theory is hedonism, but the thought experiment of being on an "experience machine" suggests that this view may be inadequate.

00:00 - Chapter 1. What Kind of Life Is Worth Living Forever?
12:47 - Chapter 2. Can Boredom Be Eradicated in Immortal Life?
19:10 - Chapter 3. What Makes a Good Life Good?
29:11 - Chapter 4. Hedonism: Does Pleasure Exclusively Define a Good Life?
40:47 - Chapter 5. Nozick's Experience Machine: The Perfect Floating Life
46:52 - Chapter 6. Conclusion

Complete course materials are available at the Yale Online website: online.yale.edu


This course was recorded in Spring 2007.