Bucket List Definition

• A bucket list is a list of experiences or achievements one hopes to accomplish before dying (Source: Merriam-Webster).

Common Bucket List Activities

• Spending time with loved ones.

• Traveling.

• Eating exotic foods.

• Engaging in adventures.

• Expressing gratitude and love (saying "Sorry", "Thank you", "I love you").

Reflections on Life

• Consideration of the things one wishes they had done before death.

Death Perspectives

• Prepared by: MR. ANTONIO T. DELGADO, Faculty, Social Science Department, General De Jesus College.

Guide Questions

1. What is the medical/legal definition of death?

2. Philosophical views of death: Socrates, Epicurus, and Thomas Nagel.

3. Personal inclination towards one view.

4. Meaning of life in the face of inevitable death.

Traditional Definition of Death

• Death equated to stopping of heartbeat and breathing.

Legal Definition of Death

• Based on the Organ Donation Act of 1991, "Death" is defined as:

  • Irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions.

  • Irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain (including brain stem).

Physicians' Opinions on Death

• (1) Attending physician's assessment of absence of respiratory and cardiac functions leads to death declaration at the time those functions ceased.

• (2) Consulting physician's agreement with attending physician that there is an irreversible cessation of all brain functions, leading to death declaration when these conditions are first observed.

After Death Possibilities

• Reincarnation: Concept of beginning a new life in a different body after biological death.

Philosophical Views on Death

• Socrates: Death could be a dreamless sleep or a passage to another life. It is not to be feared.

  • Quote: "No man knows whether death may not even turn out to be the greatest blessing for a human being."

• Epicurus: Nonexistence at death means there is no sensation, and fearing death prevents joy in life.

Living in the Moment

• Importance of being present: "Today me will live in the moment, unless it's unpleasant, in which case me will eat a cookie." - Cookie Monster

Fear and Regret of Death

• Potential fears may revolve around the process of dying or being deprived of possibilities.

• Thomas Nagel emphasizes that death’s evil stems from what it deprives us of, not its features per se.

Conclusion: Meaning of Death

• Death gives meaning to life and prompts one to live life fully.

• Joseph Campbell said, "Regrets are illuminations come too late."

  • Questions whether we would feel regret if there’s no death.

Final Thoughts

• Living life to the fullest is essential while time permits.