We're All Gonna Live Forever!

Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain Media

Arts, Science, Performing Arts, Social Sciences

4.6 • 40.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 September 2019

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Last week, we spoke with psychologist Sheldon Solomon about the fear of death and how it shapes our actions. This week, we pivot from psychology and politics to religion and history as we explore how people have tried to resolve these fears. We talk with philosopher Stephen Cave about the ways we assure ourselves that death is not really the end.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Hidden Brain, I'm Shankar Vedanta.
0:03.7	The first emperor of China was used to getting his way.
0:07.9	By the time he was 40, Chinshuakwamdi was the most powerful man in the world.
0:14.5	During his reign some 2000 years ago he united the warring nations of his kingdom.
0:19.8	He standardized currency and weights and measures.
0:23.4	He unified border walls into a single block that would eventually become the Great Wall of China.
0:30.2	And so it seemed to this man who was larger than life, who had achieved so many things,
0:35.5	that he could also conquer something no one had conquered before.
0:40.5	Death.
0:43.8	He went searching for an elixir that would give him eternal life.
0:48.9	He travelled his kingdom, talking to wizards and alchemists and wise people and priests.
0:56.3	One day, and some distant part of his kingdom, he found a wise man who said,
1:01.3	I know the recipe for an elixir.
1:03.9	This is philosopher Stephen Cave.
1:06.0	He says the wise man was a wizard named Shui Fu.
1:09.9	And Shui Fu's offer to get the elixir came with a few conditions.
1:16.2	You just have to get it from this distant island.
1:19.9	And if you give me a ship fully equipped and loaded with virgins, I will be able to go
1:26.7	to this island and get the elixir of life for you.
1:31.0	The Emperor was ecstatic.
1:33.5	He gave Shui Fu the ship, the provisions and the virgins.
1:38.2	And then he carried on ruling over his great empire.
	...

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