Deck 14: If You Want to Die Later, Then Why Dont You Want to Have Been Born Earlier

Question 1

According to the Symmetry Argument

A) Birth is bad for you, but death is not bad for you.
B) Death is bad for you, but birth is not bad for you.
C) Both death and birth are bad for you.
D) Neither death nor birth are bad for you.

Answer 1

Neither death nor birth are bad for you.

Question 2

According to the Impossibility Solution to the Symmetry Argument

A) It is impossible for you to die at any time.
B) It is impossible for you do die later than you will.
C) It is impossible for you to be born earlier.
D) It is impossible for anything in your life to go differently than it will.

Answer 2

It is impossible for you to be born earlier.

Question 3

The Big Bang Argument purports to establish which of the following claims?

A) The Big Bang explains the origin of the universe.
B) It is possible for anyone to have been born earlier.
C) It is impossible for anyone to have been born earlier.
D) None of the above

Answer 3

It is possible for anyone to have been born earlier.

Question 4

Timmerman rejects which premise(s) of the Symmetry Argument?

A) Premise 1: It is not bad for one to miss out on an earlier birth.
B) Premise 2: If it is not bad for one to miss out on an earlier birth, then it is not bad for one to miss out on a later death.
C) He rejects both premises.
D) He rejects neither of the premises.

Question 5

With respect to early-birth and late-death, Timmerman argues for what kind of asymmetry?

A) Asymmetrical salience
B) Asymmetrical badness
C) Asymmetrical attitudes
D) None of the above

Question 6

Timmerman defends the asymmetry he does by appealing to which of the following considerations?

A) Difference in one's control over death and birth
B) Difference in the time that death and birth are "threats"
C) Difference in uncertainty about when death and birth occur
D) None of the above
E) All of the above

Question 7

What is the deprivation view of the badness of death? What is the Symmetry Argument, and how is this argument supposed to provide reason to reject deprivationism? What is the Impossibility Solution to the Symmetry Argument and how is this solution defended? Is this solution satisfactory? Why or why not?

Question 8

What is the deprivation view of the badness of death? What is the Symmetry Argument, and how is this argument supposed to provide reason to reject deprivationism? What is Timmerman's argument against the Symmetry Argument? Is his argument sound? Why or why not? What kind of asymmetry does Timmerman argue for with respect to late-births and early-deaths? Should we accept such an asymmetry? Why or why not?