Quote:
Originally Posted by Partless
But that's not treatment, that's just talking philosophy. What makes it therapeutic?
So let's say part of my anxiety is related to dying, to disappearing, to losing my loved ones, etc. What can a philosopher offer me? Not certainty, of course. Perhaps just mention different possibilities, different philosophical views on life after death? But I could just read them in a book. And I'm not sure they would necessarily make me feel better or more hopeful.
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I've been thinking about this. Epicurianism deals a lot with death. It's an entire philosophy based on seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. The funny thing is, they were a moderate bunch, interested in good friendships and living ethically.
Why? Because they found that extremes (like drunken orgies) led to too much pain. They found ethical living to be what helped them maximize the pleasure in their lives.
But, a very big part of the philosophy was to teaching his followers not to fear death.