Religion and Ethics Forum

General Category => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: Nearly Sane on February 14, 2023, 06:46:36 AM

Title: Yale professor tells Japanese senior citizens to ‘kill themselves’, but why?
Post by: Nearly Sane on February 14, 2023, 06:46:36 AM
Logan's Run takes a step closer


https://www.firstpost.com/world/yale-professor-tells-japanese-senior-citizens-to-kill-themselves-to-deal-with-countrys-aging-population-12146522.html
Title: Re: Yale professor tells Japanese senior citizens to ‘kill themselves’, but why?
Post by: Sriram on February 14, 2023, 06:53:31 AM


Rational thinking gone awry....
Title: Re: Yale professor tells Japanese senior citizens to ‘kill themselves’, but why?
Post by: Nearly Sane on February 14, 2023, 07:44:25 AM

Rational thinking gone awry....
I think it's easy to see it like that but I would suggest that a lot of this is tied up with a reverence of a tradition of self sacrifice driven by a sense of honour, and that part is not rational. I think too often we see the rational calculation of how to achieve a goal as what has gone wrong rather the goal itself and that choice of goal is not rational.

To take an example, the Nazi meeting at Wannsee was filled by rationality of how to achieve the goal of exterminating the Jewish people. But it was driven by hate and fear, by the belief in tribal rights.

As Hume wrote 'Reason is a slave to the passions'.
Title: Re: Yale professor tells Japanese senior citizens to ‘kill themselves’, but why?
Post by: Sriram on February 14, 2023, 09:01:46 AM



Yes..you are probably right!  :)
Title: Re: Yale professor tells Japanese senior citizens to ‘kill themselves’, but why?
Post by: Udayana on February 14, 2023, 10:53:05 AM
The idea is obviously rubbish, hardly "rational".

I don't even agree that there is a "problem" there to solve - having an increase in the relative population of elders is hardly a "problem".

I do, however, think think there should be a "right to die". People who decide that their life has come to the point that they don't want to continue living should have assistance in ending it as they choose.

Title: Re: Yale professor tells Japanese senior citizens to ‘kill themselves’, but why?
Post by: jeremyp on February 14, 2023, 12:02:28 PM
I tend to think Yale economics professors are a burden on society.

He knows what to do.