Annihilation: The Sense and Significance of Death

Annihilation explores the sense and significance of death in general and human death in particular. The first part of the book examines questions about the nature of death. For example, is the death of the brain a necessary and sufficient condition of death? How does the death of a human being relate to the death of a person? The second part of the book questions whether death should be seen as bad, focusing on the Epicurean view that the fear of death is irrational because it cannot be experienced, noting that, for instance, while we worry about future non-existence, we don’t concern ourselves with past non-existence. The final chapter considers whether immortality is desirable and whether cryonics, brain transplants, and data storage might allow us to cheat death. Christopher Belshaw’s examination focuses on questions of value rather than on morality and his general approach throughout is sceptical. The book will be of interest to philosophers concerned with the nature and importance of death and provides a much-needed foundation for discussions of abortion, euthanasia, life support, and suicide.