1. The Epicurean Argument
1. A state of affairs is bad for person P only if P can experience it at some
time.
Therefore,
2. P’s being dead is bad for P only if it is a state of affairs that P can
experience at some time.
3. P can experience a state of affairs at some time only if it begins before
P’s death.
4. P’s being dead is not a state of affairs that begins before P’s death.
Therefore,
5. P’s being dead is not a state of affairs that P can experience at some time.
Therefore,
C. P’s being dead is not bad for P.
One sentence version: Since you can’t experience being dead, it can’t be
bad for you.
2. Why Think Premise #1 is
True?
1. A state of affairs is bad for person P only if P
can experience it at some time.
Some Cases…
Horrific Mozart performance
Terrible smell