Luca Ferrero (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)

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January 28 WED, 14.30-16.30

Sala Riunioni - Direzione del Dipartimento di Filosofia,
Via Festa del Perdono 7

Mortality, Finitude, and the Temporal Structure of Agency

Abstract: What is the relation between the structure of temporally extended agency and the expectation of finite lifetime? Contrary to what might seem prima facie plausible, I will argue that there is a structural discontinuity between the agency of mortal and immortal beings. Some philosophers have recently argue that there are kinds of temporally extended agency, like the repletion of certain activities or the pursuit of infinite ends, that might make the structure of mortal agency resemble those of immortal agency, thereby making it easier to conceive of and assess the prospects of immortal life. Against these proposals, I will argue that it is impossible to separate the prospect of finite existence from the structure of our temporal agency, and I will offer some preliminary considerations on the normative implications of this impossibility.