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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. PgtJ3oq [}
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more +ElfZ4
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in {.C!i{|
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? 7%Gwc? [x
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your % 5M/s'O?i
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it 9K{%vK
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. ;z}i-cNae
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would tn(JC%?^
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to u0|8Tgf
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow B-ngn{Yc
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- [ >8}J "
terms with your passing away. g{OwuAC_
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave BJ$9v bhZN
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their 8']M^|1
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine f$e[u
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you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. 0D\#Pq
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Robert Rowland Smith 3
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