Deck 13: On the Nature of Things Excerpts

Question 1

For Lucretius, our being mortal means that

A) we should not care how long we live
B) life is meaningless
C) death should be feared
D) death should not concern us

Answer 1

death should not concern us

Question 2

Why does Lucretius believe that death should not cause us to feel "dread"?

A) Death is a relief from the sufferings of life.
B) We will not exist when we are dead.
C) Our relatives and friends will remember us after we're dead.
D) Dying will almost certainly be painless.

Answer 2

We will not exist when we are dead.

Question 3

What are some important similarities between Epicurus' attitude toward death and mortality (see Part III) and Lucretius' attitude toward death and mortality? What are some important differences between their attitudes?

Answer 3

No Answer.

Question 4

Analyze the final stanza of the excerpt (beginning "Consider likewise…"). What does Lucretius invite us to conclude about death from considering the time "before our birth" that "was nothing to us"? Is his conclusion correct?