Facing Death

http://video.pbs.org/video/1639625115/
What surprised you? Was there a particular story/person/situation which moved you or in which you would have acted differently? I usually show this film at the very beginning of the term.  After taking the class, what has changed about your views of what would you want done at the end of life?

Current Events Dec

Why Greeks are exhuming their parents

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34920068

André Glucksmann, French Philosopher Who Renounced Marxism, Dies at 78 - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/11/12/world/europe/andre-glucksmann-french-philosopher-who-renounced-marxism-dies-at-78.html?emc=edit_th_20151112&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&referer=

How Corpses Shape Culture - The Chronicle of Higher Education
http://chronicle.com/article/How-Corpses-Shape-Culture/234260?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elq=e6d0f73bb9f94b0ca00e5b70e7aba305&elqCampaignId=1929&elqaid=7027&elqat=1&elqTrackId=c23db62d96394d26b933885fbae4cb91
(I'm not sure you'll be able to access this article, so someone let me know & I'll repost in its entirety here. It is interesting).

Living Wisely

We've had a lot of sad material in this class, so here's something different:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/education/edlife/how-to-live-wisely.html?WT.mc_id=2015-KWP-AUD_DEV&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=AUDDEVREMARK&kwp_0=32881&kwp_4=189412&kwp_1=174176&_r=0

also, Thursday 19 November is World Philosophy Day! Woo hoo!

please discuss!

Reflections on Human Nature

Try to address 2 or 3 of the following prompts.  Respond to 1 or 2 of your classmates' postings. This prompt is meant to help you prepare to write your final essay about human nature.

• What is human nature?  
• Which of the theories of human nature in the Stevenson book do you find most persuasive and why? 
• Why is a conception of human nature of important?  What does it do for us? 
• What ought we to do?  How ought we live?
• What kind of society should we have?
• Who is responsible for what and why?
• What kind of economic & political system is just?

• What have you learned about death & dying that is important to you?  Is surprising to you?  Has this helped you reflect on the meaning of life?
• What does life mean?  
• Am I living a good life? 
• What is death? 
• What’s my legacy?

End-of-Course Reflections *mandatory*

Please comment on at least several if not all of these questions -- use separate posts if you like.   

What have you learned in this course that surprised you?

Would you take another course in philosophy if money/time weren't major barriers?  

Do you have an understanding of the philosophical dimensions of the study and critique of human nature and death & dying?

Have you developed an appreciation for the relevance of metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical questions in our daily lives?

Have you improved in your skills of analysis and critique, as well as in written and oral communication due to this course?

End-of-Life Conversations

If you choose to have an end-of-life discussion with your family over Thanksgiving, you might try using these sources:

Related to Brittany Maynard and end of life,  PRI report:
http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-11-20/explore-final-moments-dying-man-who-chose-end-his-own-life

Questions to guide end of life conversations:

• http://associationdatabase.com/aws/MCA/asset_manager/get_file/73442/conversations_revision_jan_2014.pdf  
• http://www.dyingwell.org/faq.htm 
• http://theconversationproject.org/ 
• National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization
• http://www.nhpco.org/advance-care-planning
• http://www.nhpco.org/resources/end-life-care--resources

Disclaimer: check with your health care provider or attorney for up-to-date info, this is meant to be illustrative and informative, not legal.

State of Ohio packet of information --and a series of questions -- about end of life
http://associationdatabase.com/aws/MCA/asset_manager/get_file/73442/conversations_revision_jan_2014.pdf

Commonwealth of Kentucky Living Will packet
http://ag.ky.gov/civil/consumerprotection/livingwills/Documents/livingwillpacket.pdf

State of Illinois Living Will template
http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/books/Livin.PDF

Indiana -- I'll post soon.

Diving Bell & the Butterfly (before Thanksgiving)

More info on the film

• http://www.thedivingbellandthebutterfly-themovie.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diving_Bell_and_the_Butterfly
• http://www.salon.com/2008/02/23/diving_bell_2/

What questions do you have?  What was your favorite scene?  What "lessons" do you take away from the film? What surprised you? What made you sad? How can you connect this film to something we've read, or some concept we've discussed?  Make an original post, then come back and comment on 1 of your classmates' posts.