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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: The Philosopher who wrote (44783)	2/26/2002 12:48:12 AM
From: one_less	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

"Are you suggesting that for this person death at this time may be their purpose in life,and that therefore saving their life is defeating their purpose?" Definitely not! Death can hardly make sense as a purpose to live. Death is the natural and unavoidable culmination of life; at least for the folks I know about. It is to bad that it is treated as some sort of awful failure when someone goes to their death. A purposeful life is a life worth living. Most of us are able to see purpose and meaning in life that doesn't involve a direct risk of death. The value of the worthy and purposeful life should override concerns for simply continuing. Example: Someone may decide to take up arms against injustice or tyranny, even though they are almost sure to lose their life in the process. The term "saving lives" has an empty ring to it unless there is some specific point at which people would otherwise die and they are kept alive; and a purpose for keeping them alive other than simple continuance. If there were some medical majic that kept the explorers Lewis and Clark alive, I would ask why; and I would probably be quite uncomfortable knowing that they had been kept alive all this time in some medical facility. "Am I getting the point? I want to understand the point before I contemplate it." I doubt it. On the one hand evolution has its seemingly singular purpose of survival of the species. This is not a concern held by the species itself but simply the instinct driven into it by nature. I am no more concerned about whether or not human beings will continue on the Earth for the next billion years than I am concerned about whether or not I will life to be 250 years old. It is not likely that either will occur and I am comfortable knowing that. It is also possible that new medical marvels will extend our lives to 250 years and that humanity will continue on Earth for the duration. I am concerned that my life is not a waste of time. On the other hand you use the term "saving lives" in an entirely different context than survival of the species, one that implies purpose. This involves two very divergent trains of thought.