People Should Not Fear Death in The Apology and On The Nature of Things

📌Category: Books, Plato, Poems, Writers
📌Words: 1368
📌Pages: 5
📌Published: 16 February 2022

The various teachings of philosophy that scholars utilize play a critical role in their views of society. Lucretius, a Roman philosopher who favors Epicurus, presents ideas of Epicurean philosophy by promoting eudaimonia (happiness) and minimizing ataraxia (anxiety) and aponia (pain). However, Socrates focuses on reasoning to prove a point, while maintaining truth and justice. Lucretius and Socrates differ in their beliefs of what death means and the implications it has, along with their opposing views on the existence of the underworld; however, they both agree on the idea that people should not fear death in The Apology and On the Nature of Things.

As Lucretius takes a more scientific approach to the study of death, he focuses on the dissolution of atoms through two important processes. One of these involves an impact “too severe” for the body to endure (ONT 2.944-946). This form of collision is strong enough to immediately disrupt and separate the atoms, making it impossible for them to return to their original position. For an individual who experiences a sudden ending, this destruction makes it seemingly painless in nature as the soul is unable to register sensations after the body passes. Since there will be one final “blow” powerful enough to destroy the world, this conveys the uncertainty of life and the inevitable aspect of death that Lucretius promotes. There is also the idea of a “less sharp blow” that causes disturbances between atoms, but allows them to return to their “proper course” (ONT 2.954-957). The symptoms of drunkenness exemplify this process of death with the “potent punch of wine” by producing slurred speech, heavy limbs, and glossy eyes (ONT 3.481-487). Based on the entanglement between the anima (soul) and animus (mind) in relation to the body, it causes them to suffer mutual effects. Since intoxication temporarily dislodges the atoms, it anticipates and prepares for death from a greater blow that will make the body irrecoverable. This form of slow death causes their soul to gradually wither away, becoming more painful and terrifying for them as they await death.

While death for Lucretius depends on collisions between atoms, Socrates views death in relation to moral integrity. Although his main argument is that death is either a form of eternal sleep or a relocation of the soul, he reveals his skepticism on which one it is (Ap. 40d). He is incapable of making the final decision until he experiences death himself, showcasing his virtuous character and humble nature by accepting the unknown. Since uncertainty is a part of Socrates’s reputation, it allows him to be equally ignorant to death like every other mortal. When Socrates is placed on trial for accusations made about him, he reveals his neutrality to the fate of death. His main concern during the trial is to not do or say “anything unjust or impious” (Ap. 32d). Based on this, he wants to maintain his moral integrity as opposed to submitting to the injustices that individuals in Athens perform. Even if this means he must sacrifice his own life, he would rather be truthful in his defense over anything else. Adding to this, Socrates claims that it is more difficult to “avoid wickedness” than death (Ap. 39b). He uses his unfortunate situation as a selfless opportunity to teach others the importance of moral integrity. By confidently standing in opposition to the typical practices of the community, such as pleading the justice system to get acquitted, he continues to maintain his righteousness (Ap. 34b). With this, he rather die in a moral and virtuous way than succumb to the prejudiced justice system. Ultimately, Socrates views integrity as more important than life, leading him to the death penalty.

Along with the idea that Socrates strives to maintain his moral principles when thinking about death, he believes in the existence of the afterlife, while Lucretius does not. After Socrates obtains the death penalty, he alludes to the afterlife of Hades which allows people to escape the troubles of the world and “spend time” with others (Ap. 41a). While the judges think the death penalty punishes Socrates by cutting him off from humanity, it actually benefits him. Since Socrates believes that the psyche (soul) continues to exist after death, it allows him to reconnect with friends and loved ones who reside in the afterlife. Socrates can also spend his time “testing” and “examining” people in the same way he does during his mortal life (Ap. 41b). The punishment of death would not change anything for Socrates, as he will continue his method of elenchus, an interrogation that concludes in an individual contradicting themself. For Socrates, death would be a blessing rather than a punishment, since he sees it as an opportunity to continue his philosophical practices. However, Lucretius disagrees with Socrates, considering that his beliefs include the idea that once the body dies, the “soul too has perished” (ONT 3.797-799). With this, he forms the relationship between the animus and anima and their dependence on the body for a person to be alive and sentient. Once one ceases to exist, the other follows, causing the afterlife to be unnecessary. Since his atomic theory concludes that matter breaks apart into atoms at death, they then diffuse into the void and reassemble to form new compounds (ONT 2.1002-1009). Through these recombinations, it relates to the idea of reincarnation, which centers around the belief of rebirth. With this, the soul of an individual is placed in a different body, similar to the way that atoms of a compound reassemble into a new compound. Due to their differing philosophies, the purpose of the body after death varies for Lucretius and Socrates.

While Lucretius and Socrates disagree on the existence of the underworld, they both argue that death is something that should not be feared. Lucretius points out his beliefs on the societal implications that the fear of death has, including the “blind lust for status” which causes people to disobey the law and become “abettors of crime” (ONT 3.60-66). Due to the fact that individuals fear the possibility of death at any moment, it explains why men seek wealth: to fulfill their greed before dying. This establishes the larger societal issue that arises from this fear, as it is the root cause of all evil and bad human behavior. However, if individuals stop becoming anxious and worrying about dying, these troubles cease to exist, conveying how these apprehensions are unnecessary and have negative implications. Since life does not have “permanent ownership” for anyone (ONT 3.971-972), the fear of death is absurd. Lucretius tries to make humans aware of the fact that they are mortal and bound to die, so the feeling of fear will not prolong their existence or change their fate. Instead, humans should acknowledge the reality of their limited time in order to live in the present and be grateful for the opportunities available to them. By applying the Epicurean thought to his argument, Lucretius concludes that death is “nothing to us” and has no influence on our lives (ONT 3.830). Since there is no part of human consciousness that exists to experience death, there is no way that humans know what to expect. He implies that dwelling on the future inevitabilities causes humans to ruin the only life they are able to experience. With this, he takes an optimistic view of life by accepting mortality and showing that there is no need to fear the unexpected. This is identical to Socrates’s belief that he will never “fear” or “avoid things” that he does not know (Ap. 29c). Based on this, both Lucretius and Socrates argue that these unknown realities should not provoke fear in an individual until they experience it themselves. Socrates expands on this idea by relating it to thinking one is wise when “one does not know” (Ap. 29b). Because of this, even Socrates cannot fear death since he doesn’t know what it truly is, showcasing his modesty by realizing the limits of his wisdom. Although Socrates and Lucretius have slightly different reasons as to why humans should not fear death, they both agree that it is irrational to fear the unknown.

The opposing views on the existence of the underworld along with varying beliefs of death highlight the differences between the philosophies of Lucretius and Socrates in The Apology and On the Nature of Things; meanwhile, they both acknowledge that people should not fear death. As Lucretius mentions the plague of Athens during his concluding lines, it conveys an extreme version of death that explains the necessity of casualties to allow for the creation of more humans (ONT 6.1139-1286). This relates to the current COVID-19 pandemic as medical professionals were unprepared for the sudden, global outbreak of this deadly disease, leading to millions of unexpected deaths. Although many individuals perceive death as a melancholy culmination of life, it is an inevitable aspect that everyone must endure in order to allow for the birth of more humans.

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