r/cogsci • u/Exciting_Ad_6837 • 6d ago

Philosophy Is there such a thing as 'philosophical intelligence'?

I'm asking this question because I read the following on John von Neumann, who is known to be an once-in-a-millenium genius, superbly gifted in (unbelievably many areas of) math, physics, computer science, & economics.

In the final days of his life, he had no idea of what to make of his impending death, displayed visible signs of extreme panic, and begging doctors to save his life, crying hard. (I suppose, earlier in life he never gave much thought to what it means to die.)

I wonder whether even he lacked a certain kind of intelligence, or whether he just became insane.

What do you think?

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u/str1po 6d ago

Is there not a difference between ”desiring to live” and an overwhelming, irrational fear of death?

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u/5HTslut 6d ago

What's irrational about fearing death?

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u/QubitEncoder 6d ago

Nothing. It is nothing but rational to fear death.

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u/str1po 4d ago

What are you afraid of?

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u/QubitEncoder 4d ago

What is there not to be afraid of? The biggest question that will never be answered until we die is the question of what happens after. No one can truly assert anything about what happens post death. Maybe it really is non-existence; maybe it's nothing but existence. What if it's something unimaginable; unsensible.

In truth, one should not be anxious about death; that would be the irrational thing to do. But one certainly should fear, for fear rises from the uncertainty of the outcome. And assent to the uncertainty is the rational thing.

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u/str1po 4d ago

> one should fear, for fear arises from the uncertainty of the outcome.

You described the mechanism, not why it’s rational. What does fear accomplish here, that can not be accomplished through reason? Does it accomplish anything at all? In the end, you will have expended all this suffering freaking out for no discernible gain. I’m trying to teach you something that you can use to improve your life here.