If you were the last person left on earth, how do you think you would spend your time? Would a great weight be lifted, or a void created? How long do you think you would dwell on the past before accepting your current situation?
If you were the last person on earth, how do you think your views on existence would change? Would life lose all meaning? Would life become "unbearably light"? Or would this new found freedom lead to a personal state of "childlike wonder"? Would joy even be possible, or could the scent of a flower cause an ecstatic state?
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I think being the last person on Earth would entail quite a few changes in how one would view existence.
ReplyDeleteBy being alone, you'd really have to think for yourself - not for others. As Heidegger sees it, your "dasein" would really be at its purest. You would think for yourself, and the "das man" would be non-existent.
However, if you happened to become the last person on earth and you were raised in a once existent society, by "das man", then I think you would have a hard time accepting your own existence. Your own existence would once have been with the "das man", but now that the "das man" is gone, your whole world would crumble.
Humans are adaptive, however, and I think human emotions such as joy even over the simplest of things would return.
If I was the last person on earth everything would become simpler. I would start to notice the little details around me and would only be focused on that. However, I'd still have all my thoughts and memories and letting those go would be extremely difficult for me. I think it would be more the "childlike wonder" idea then anything else, however i think it would eventually start to fade with time and I would start to miss human contact. In order to be the last person on earth and find meaning with life, you would have to live your life purely just "being" without the thinking. The theme of pure being in "I Heart Huckabees" would be the best way to find pleasure in the little things.
ReplyDeleteBeing the last person on earth would remove "Das Man," leaving my own desires and impulses. With nothing but my own thoughts and ideas, I would be left to become "Dasein."
ReplyDeleteHowever Dasein would be great, but not only would I gain knowledge of all the great parts of my personality, there would also be the negative aspects. With no one else to talk with, it would be painful.
If I were the last person on Earth, I would not be happy, as my happiness dervies from the company of others. But I would still try and make the best of my situation and use it for philosophical conemplation. This would give me the oppertunity to experiance the world diffrently than I had before. Because I would no longer have the company/distarctions of other human relationships, I would try and focus on enchancing my preception of the world through my senses. Like Betrand Russell I would like to exploreobtain empiricial knowledge.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I would most likely contemplate suicide. I believe people learn from the existence of others and without that stimulus there, to me, seems like quite a meaningless existence.
ReplyDeleteYes, the existence of 'Das Man' would be eliminated but I think that we learn in our struggle to fight against other forces and without them there, to contemplate oneself leaves for little room of improvement if we don't have outside forces working against us.
And as Gabriel said, as the last human on earth, I would assume any human, as much myself, would begin to wonder why I am the last person in existence or how long I have left before I inevitably have to die. As there is no longer any structure to control or fight against, we would only be left to think. Yes this is what Heidegger wants us to obtain, the complete freedom to experience oneself but without the contrasting balance of what once was, I think it would drive us insane.
If I would be the last person on earth...I am sure I would dwell in the past a lot and I would go back to my childhood, lovely moments, good times with my friends/family. My views would change if I knew that sooner or later I will dissapear forever. I would ask myself: What is next? Is this that it? What is happening on the other side? I love what Socrates said at this trial to Meletus: "If after death there is nothingness then Meletus, you are doing me a favour but if there is something better then now,I am happy to move there." In the last moments I would love to know that, there is something else on the other side. Somebody waiting for me. THat there is something better on the other side...
ReplyDeleteBeing last human on earth would not be a good idea because, I think as a normal human being one would go through suffering of missing their loved ones around them and with no people, would make me go insane! Unless I am enlightened person who doesn't have any attachement to anyone or anything would be fine.
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ReplyDeleteI think if you were the last person on Earth you would go insane trying to justify your own existence. Depending on the kind of person you are you would either accept that everything is pointless, your entire life has lead to nothing and you exist without purpose. After this I suppose you would kill yourself unless you found meaning. But how can you find meaning if you are the last person in existence? This is where the otherside comes in. The other perspective is looking at in an almost biblical way and that you , yourself have a divine purpose or else why would you exist. You would believe that you have been chosen for something.
ReplyDeleteEither way I don't see it being "light" at all because you would being filled with this heavy burden that couldn't be lifted and you would go insane.
I think that being the last person on earth would be an incredible experience. I think that at first one would dwell on the past, fear the future, and sink into a sea of despair. Though just as Monsieur Mersault in the Outsider moved from dwelling on the past to embracing the present, so would we. For us though, the present would be far greater; we have to the whole world to ourselves and are not in a small prison cell.
ReplyDeleteOnce we realise this, we would see that there is no need for us to be dependent on others for happiness; happiness is found within. But, if we still held onto our values of the past, we could still find joy in the world around us. The entire earth is now a setting solely for our story. There no longer are any other subjective beings stealing reality from us; limiting our freedom.
Sure, the emotions we used to feel were pretty amazing, but they are gone. That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing worth living for; our possibility of being is still boundless. We know that it’s foolish to worry about something that is beyond our control; something we cannot change. We know that fretting over the loss of a loved one isn’t going to bring them back, so why would we fret about the loss of the rest of humanity; we know we can’t bring them back so let’s enjoy the present. As for suicide, I feel that it would be a huge waste. Death is inevitable but we are alive now. I’m sure if you have the whole earth to yourself, you could find something enjoyable to do. There’s still food and flowers and other such things.
The first thing we would probably feel is regret that we didn't do certain things that we can't anymore. Then we would think of all the love ones that are now gone forever.
ReplyDeleteI think it really depends on how able bodied you are when you become the last person alive. If you were disabled like in a wheelchair things would become increasingly difficult physically. Mentally, you would probably eventually develope some sort of imaginary friend due to lack of communication, or like in I Am Legend, an animal companion.
On the other hand, you would be open to the whole world if you were able to get around. There would be no more rules, other than the ones you set so das man would take on a different meaning. Stealing would become simply taking of things left behind. So really I think you would eventually adapt as humans have throughout time to the new world.
Although, you would live knowing you are the last of the human race. When you die, that's it. UNLESS you discover some sort of cloning lab or develope the technology yourself, you have to live knowing that every second, time is running out. Some might be able to look past this and say, "Oh well, might as well make the best of it!"
Eventually you might dwell on senseless questions like, "Why am I the last alive?" or, "What now?". I think the best thing to do would be like Sisyphus and take the time to realize the beauty of the world and all the things that make it up. Once we reach that state of being, everything becomes so much simpler.
I assume that if I was the last person on earth, it would be because of an apocalypse similar to the one in Cormac McCarthy's "The Road".
ReplyDeleteIn "The Road", a father and son are the last "people" on earth because of a Doomsday-like apocalypse that has killed almost everyone. They have nothing except the clothes on their backs, a gun (for if the other one dies) and each other. They are in search of a more fertile land to live on, because around them is nothing but scorched earth. Along the way they have to deal with sickness, emotional trauma and fight off barbarians (who are not considered people).
It's an insightful and depressing read for anyone who is interested (by far one of my favourites). I can definitely relate to the characters in the novel, because they do not have the gun as protection, but rather for suicide. They have nothing to live for except each other and that is completely understandable. Isn't it often said that no man is an island? If you were to live all alone, you would have nothing to dwell on except your memories, because they are all you truly own.
If I was the last person on earth, I would probably bring myself to insanity because there would be little mental stimulation. There would be no social interaction, conversation, dialogue whatsoever. I could possibly even become mute.
When it comes down to the brain, they say what you do not use, you lose. Children who do not learn to speak before they are twelve years old never learn to speak at all.
Being the last person on earth would be a suffering far more painful than homework, or swim practice or babysitting. You can still interact with people while doing those tasks. You can chat online, call someone, mumble to someone between sets, etc. The problem with being alone is that you will crave attention to the point of putting your own life at risk and even then, no one will be there to watch you.
Perhaps if you were a hermit, you would feel relieved because you could finally live in peace, but for me, the experience would be an awful one to say at the very least.
If i were the last person on earth, i would live the life i wanted to live not what my family or society wanted me to live. And Yes, this new found freedom would lead to a personal state of childlike wonder, where you wouldn't care about anything. You would do what ever seems important to you.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that each person and their situation is unique so I relate this to me personally.
ReplyDeleteI would feel a huge loss and dwell on the past, dwell on the future, and close up for a while. I think eventually i would have to adapt to the fact that I cannot sit in despair forever. I would be overwhelmed with emotion and would probably talk to myself a lot. I might be so dependent on 'das man' that I would have hope of finding someone else, but being too scared to go searching.
I think I would have to take a good look at myself and recreate who i want to be. I might feel like I do now have a superior purpose in life as being the last person on earth is not common. In turn I think I may be conflicted with life as meaningful or meaningless.
In relation to W.V.O Quine, the knowledge I thought I had before would leave me questioning my knowledge in the present. My reflection would be my worst enemy, creating a barrier for growth through doubt.
I start to question Aristotle about living virtuous and happy if I am the last person on earth. He says you need to live a life of balance, but if there is no one to push your boundaries then how do you find balance. For example he says excess to spending money is wastefulness, virtue is generosity, and deficiency is to be stingy. If there is no money to spend then how will I live with balance? I suppose his other virtues could work, but I still think there is no haapiness left to be had, as he says that the three types of friendships we have are also a part of being happy. With no people around how do we receive this type form pleasure?
Regardless of what each philosopher says, I think components of every theory can create a moderate form of happiness and contentment. But I do think we are still happiest when we have human interaction. (As mentioned, unless you are a hermit).
Being the last man on earth would lift a great weight form my shoulders, because with being the last man on earth I can gain my complete freedom and authenticity. I would be free from all the biases and prejudices of our society and I do not have to be worried about “Das Man” any more. I would have the free and open mind that Russell was talking about on my side in the search of all the essential answers, and would be able to see the world in its entire beauty as Camus saw it. On the other hand, there also would be a big gab in between complete happiness and me because there would be no point or no real need of me reaching this high level of mind state. All the riches in that I gained from being the last man on earth would be useless and lost ass soon as I die. I would never gain the satisfaction of passing this knowledge to another person, and this is the reason way, I would never reach the state of “childlike wonder” as Michele described it.
ReplyDeleteif i were the last persno on the earth.......i would eat all the ice cream left over. Find a cloning lab and figure out how to make more people. Then set out to have fun while everyone was growing in their test tubes.:p.jkoes!!!!
ReplyDeleteif i would be the last one on earth,i would go back into my past and remember all memorable times i had spent with my fmily, friends etc. and it would be the most disheartening fact for me I think, more so than being alone, would be that there would be no one to bury me, nor remember me, no to mourn my passing.SIGH.
It would be a big burden to carry. In so many ways I would be freed from "Das Man" and get to know myself even better than I know now, perhaps even become completely authentic. It would be absolutely wonderful to have no pressure and most importantly, no SOURCE of pressure. I do believe that this is how you start appreciating little things and get to the state of mind where seeing a flower brings you ecstasy.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in order to progress in your thinking and philosophies, it is crucial to observe. If there isn't anyone to observe, sooner or later you become insane..