no one really knows what death is. one aspect of our situation-not the world situation, but the actual situation, here-is that fear has so penetrated us, we are so devastated by it, we don't even know what to be afraid of. we are afraid more of authorities than we are of death. one of our most terrifying goals is to live and die with dignity. all these pleas to be more free make no sense unless we learn not to fear death as socrates did. for plato, philosophy was purely the art of preparing yourself for death. greeks knew how to die with dignity. we have lost this knowledge. death for us is either hysterical- throwing yourself at the enemy- or an individual suicide.


from 
the owl's legacy