E50. "Prey" - How do you break the cycle of living?

Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Discussions

Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021!

STORY SUMMARY: Jared has decided to enter a government program that, after 15 hours of counseling, will allow him to legally take his own life. Doctor Ansley is the top government therapist with 199 “saves” for the year. After several sessions it becomes clear that Jared has serious conviction about dying, but he also has a secret reason for his choice. Only after Doctor Ansley tricks him by giving him a fake test does he divulge his true reason for wanting to die. Jared believes the earth is feeding off of humans and has instilled, through chemical responses, our desire to stay alive so we will continue feeding it. In short, all humans are the earth’s food source and, only by becoming unattached from being alive, can we break the cycle. Jared completes the required sessions and dies. And Doctor Ansley now has questions as well.

DISCUSSION: A really fascinating story that brings up important questions about our core belief system, where it comes from, and the obligations others have (or do not have) to respect it. There is a case to be made that you have a moral duty to try and talk all people, regardless of belief, to not kill themselves. Or, is that a type of bias towards valuing our own belief system regarding right and wrong reasons to allow people to die? Are there valid, and invalid reasons to kill yourself? Is a story like this, that proposes the idea of “ending the cycle of living” a story too dangerous to allow the public to read? But isn’t that a violation of our liberty and our freedom to come to our own conclusions? Loads to talk about in this story, and loads more we could have talked about. A must read, and a must listen podcast.

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