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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. ?[ts<Ltp
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more . eSMI!Y=
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in 5jYZ+O B
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? DwL4? !E
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your @}^eyS$|!
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it ,PyA$Z
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. 7rdPA9
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would S/ XkxGZ2
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to YyZ>w2_MTi
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow npW1 Z3n
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- wv ~?<DF
terms with your passing away. =?, dX
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave b 3 ,&RUF
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their )7j CEA03
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine c_3
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you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. NP {O
Robert Rowland Smith Yiq8 >|
