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Absolutes Quote by Jacques Derrida

“Learning to live ought to mean learning to die - to acknowledge, to accept, an absolute mortality - without positive outcome,or resurrection, or redemption, for oneself or for anyone else. That has been the old philosophical injunction since Plato: to be a philosopher is to learn how to die.” quote by Jacques Derrida
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“Learning to live ought to mean learning to die - to acknowledge, to accept, an absolute mortality - without positive outcome,or resurrection, or redemption, for oneself or for anyone else. That has been the old philosophical injunction since Plato: to be a philosopher is to learn how to die.”

Jacques Derrida

About This Quote

Source Philosophy: Essays on the Death of Death, Jacques Derrida, 1995

The quote suggests that truly living requires confronting and accepting our inevitable death, without hoping for afterlife or redemption.

In simple terms: Living means accepting death without expecting redemption.

Key Takeaway

Embrace mortality as part of life.

Themes

mortality existentialism philosophy acceptance human condition

Mood

somber contemplative reflective

Type

philosophical existential inspirational

When to use this quote

  • personal reflection
  • end‑of‑life counseling
  • ethical decision‑making
  • creative writing

Key Concepts

nihilism existential acceptance philosophical inquiry

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does accepting death change daily choices?
  • What role does hope play in confronting mortality?
A Different Perspective

It may overlook cultural or religious perspectives that find meaning in afterlife concepts.

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