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Philosophy Workshop: “Death & Meanings of Life”

March 21, 2021 @ 10:00 am - 12:30 pm MDT

Virtual Event Virtual Event

Workshop Details

Death and the meaning (or meanings) of life have been topics of fascination and exploration for thinkers of all kinds for centuries. In fact, one of the definitions of philosophy offered by Plato’s Socrates is preparation for death (or less morbidly and more optimistically sounding: learning how to live well so that one can die well).

In this workshop we’ll explore the “goodness” or “badness” of death, the relationship between death and meaning in our lives, and look at various attitudes toward death and dying. Some questions that will guide our philosophical spelunking include:

  • Is death bad for the person that dies?  Why or why not?
  • What significance might death have (or not have) on the value and meaning of our actions in day to day life?  
  • Should we think about our deaths often? Or is it fruitless to do so?

The Stoics and other ancient philosophers found contemplating our mortality to be of utmost import, advocating a practice known as memento mori (translated in latin as “remember that you must die”)Other thinkers promote similar practices.  For example, in early Buddhist texts the term maranasati (translated as ‘remember death’) is frequently employed and Sufis have oft been referred to as “people of the graves” because of their frequent visits to gravesites to ponder mortality. 

  • What’s the purpose or value of engaging with death in these sorts of ways? 
  • Could it be an important to key to living full and meaningful lives?  And what does this mean?

The workshop will look at these questions and more through the lens of historical philosophy and involve visual presentation, discussion, and group activities.

Workshop Overview

When & Where

This workshop led by philosopher Julia Jorati will take place via ZOOM on Sunday, March 21st 2021.  No prior background in philosophy is required to participate.

Workshop Details

Date: Sunday, March 21st
Time: 10am – 12:30pm MDT

Registration Info

Zoom Registration: See Below (Scroll Down)
Cost: Free (Donations Welcome)

Workshop Leader

Julia Jorati is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at The University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her main area of research is Early Modern Philosophy — specifically, early modern philosophy of action, metaphysics, ethics, and philosophy of mind. She also dabbles in Medieval Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion. At present, she is particularly interested in philosophical arguments concerning slavery in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the notion of moral necessity in late medieval and early modern moral psychology. Her research thus far has focused mostly on the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, though she has also published on other early modern authors.

Register Here

Once you register, you will receive an e-mail & personal log-in info to join the workshop.

For those who have not used Zoom before on your computer, click here to do a test run and ensure your system is working properly: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115002262083-Joining-a-test-meeting.

Make a Donation Here

Our philosophy workshops are FREE.  That said, for those who still have the steady income to do so in these trying times, we could really use your financial support right now.  Donations help to cover workshop leader honorariums, implementation, and resource archiving, as well as community workshop scholarships for those in need.  You can make a donation by clicking here or on the button above.  For those facing more challenging financial circumstances, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community. 

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