Question 1

Which of the following does Scheffler ask us not to consider when reflecting on the Doomsday Scenario?&#10;A) That the things we value will no longer be valued.&#10;B) That there will be no new generations of human beings.&#10;C) The deaths of our loved ones.&#10;D) The institutions we are members of will cease to exist.

Accepted Answer

Scheffler specifically asks us not to consider the deaths of our loved ones, as this is an already difficult concept to grapple with and can be a distraction from the more abstract philosophical questions posed by the Doomsday Scenario.

Question 2

According to Scheffler, what is a reason we engage with various traditions and social groups?&#10;A) To give ourselves a sense of belonging to a future social world.&#10;B) To make friends and be less lonely.&#10;C) To entertain ourselves when we are not doing philosophy.&#10;D) Because social media targets us with ads to get us to engage with traditions and social groups.

Accepted Answer

According to Scheffler, one reason we engage with various traditions and social groups is to give ourselves a sense of belonging to a future social world. This means that we invest in these groups and traditions because we hope they will continue to exist and be meaningful even after we are gone.

Question 3

Altshuler suggests that confidence in the afterlife may support each of the following EXCEPT:&#10;A) Our ability to value.&#10;B) A sense of meaning in life.&#10;C) Calming our fear of death.&#10;D) Our capacity for violence.

Accepted Answer

Altshuler does not suggest that confidence in the afterlife supports our capacity for violence. In fact, Altshuler argues that belief in the afterlife can help reduce violence by giving people a sense of accountability beyond this life.

Question 4

Hans Morgenthau holds that nuclear war would destroy our attempts to seek meaning because:&#10;A) It would destroy the technologies we rely on to pursue meaningful projects.&#10;B) It would destroy the religious traditions through which we strive for immortality.&#10;C) It would destroy the civilizations through which we aim to achieve immortality.&#10;D) It would weaken the international trust on the basis of which we pursue collective meaning.

Accepted Answer

Morgenthau argues that nuclear war would destroy civilizations, which are fundamental to our pursuit of collective meaning and the continuation of cultural traditions. This would leave us without the shared sense of purpose and values that are necessary to establish meaningful projects and promote a sense of coherence and continuity over time.

Question 5

Which of the following is the problem of action Beauvoir is trying to solve?&#10;A) We cannot truly commit ourselves to projects, but we need to commit ourselves to projects in order to live meaningful lives.&#10;B) We cannot avoid committing ourselves to projects, but all projects seem meaningless because they come to an end.&#10;C) The fact that we will die means that everything we care about is ultimately meaningless.&#10;D) We need others' help to pursue meaningful projects, but others will always let us down.

Accepted Answer

Beauvoir addresses the existential problem that while we inevitably commit to projects, they seem meaningless because they are finite and will end. She explores how to find meaning despite this inherent limitation.

Question 6

Altshuler argues that we can attain immortality in which of the following ways?&#10;A) Through engaging with projects that future generations will care about.&#10;B) By building robotic bodies for ourselves and uploading our memories into them.&#10;C) By going to heaven after our bodily deaths.&#10;D) By becoming one with the universe so that we can exist as long as it does.

Accepted Answer

Altshuler discusses the concept of "symbolic immortality," which involves creating a lasting impact through projects or actions that will be remembered by future generations.

Question 7

Explain some of the ways in which Scheffler believes the afterlife contributes value and meaning to our projects. Does the afterlife seem to be equally significant in every case? Can you think of some projects that seem more or less dependent on the afterlife? Do you think a life worth living could be entirely independent of the afterlife?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain some of the ways in which...

Question 8

Compare Scheffler's view with Morgenthau's and Beauvoir's. How does Morgenthau's emphasis on immortality differ from Scheffler's reflections on why the afterlife matters? How does Beauvoir's view of why the flourishing and freedom of others differ from Scheffler's view of why we care about these things?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare Scheffler's view with Morgenthau's and Beauvoir's....

Deck 28: The Significance of Future Generations