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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. y+7A?"s)
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more m$g{&
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in X1Kze
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? Hx9lQ8
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your I@1VX5
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it $SzuUI
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. " "CNw-^t
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would "msPH<D
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to >^v,,R8j
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow V9;IH<s:
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- T+:GYab/
terms with your passing away. JP]-a!5Ru
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave )$O'L7I n&
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their g&/r =U
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine -(E-yC u
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. D&6.> wt
.
Robert Rowland Smith FX
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