Another video link sent to me a few days ago via a message on my website contact form, to an amazing debate about pain. Thanks Alex Kealy. Havi Carel is on the panel, and it was her book, Illness that this book Learning life from illness stories was inspired from and in which I wrote Chapter 7 . I heard Raymond Talis speak at a conference a year or so ago, and his philosophical approach really resonated with me. The video of the debate is a remarkable take on the value of pain.

The link says; “We take it for granted that eradicating pain is desirable. And since De Quincey remarked that a quarter of human misery was toothache, remarkable strides have indeed been made. But is it possible, and do we want, to eliminate pain and suffering entirely or is it necessary to life?

The Debate

Physician Raymond Tallis, philosophers Christopher Hamilton and Barry C. Smith, and metaphysician Havi Carel, who has a terminal illness, question the purpose of pain.”

The agony and the ecstasy

http://iai.tv/video/the-agony-and-the-ecstasy

Ps. Sincere apologies for the many false starts… I have been having trouble embedding the video again, and failed again , so have simply added the link!!??