R: Death Gives Life Meaning

This week’s debate will focus on one of life’s inevitabilities—death. Alas, we will leave a debate about those pesky taxes for another time, unless of course someone wants to speak about the death tax! Even in these bright college years, we often face death—whether of loved ones, of professors, of mentors. We are constantly reminded that our time here on Earth is finite. What to make of this? Does the presence of a limiting factor—death—necessarily make that which is finite more meaningful, more valuable, more cherished? An interesting way to approach this question might be to consider the counterfactual: could a life that goes on for eternity (see: the Greek and Roman gods) ever truly be meaningful? It might be interesting to consider what implications these philosophical questions have for practices such as voluntary removal of life support and euthanasia. Do we need “dignified” death to leave a meaningful legacy? Furthermore, even a cursory glance at history informs us that our nation and our world is in a constant state of flux and upheaval—culturally, politically, religiously, economically. What is here today may very well be gone tomorrow. What do these sorts of macrocosmic “deaths” tell us about making the most of our opportunities and experiences?