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Bernard Williams Categorical Desires Analysis

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Throughout Bernard Williams essay, he focuses on the rhetorical significance of the Makropulos opera, and how the immortal protagonist killed themselves due to the issue of eternal boredom. Problematically death serves to end this suffering, which enables the concept of death to be depicted as a good in Williams argument. Williams essay focuses specifically on the concept of categorical desires. The categorical desires is a drive that causes enables someone to progress in to the future, because they possess certain desires/goals they wish to achieve. Additionally, the temptation of suicide originates from this unbearable boredom, which pushes the agent away from their categorical desires. The reason this problem can arise, is when the agent satisfies all their desired …show more content…

However, William doubts this concept of eternal boredom, because the individual will be moving freely, and not be situated in a single position for eternity. However, there is the problem that the immortal agent can travel to all places on earth and become intellectually satisfied with those environments. Nonetheless, there is also the factor of intellectual freedom, where the immortal person can entertain themselves through obtaining knowledge. In effect, Nevertheless, if the concept of categorical desires remains intact for the individual, they will continue to desire living a life of immortality. However, Williams closes his argument with the belief that an immortal life would be unlivable. This is because, the limitations timespan of a normal life motivates the agent to fulfill their personal goals. Significantly, the limitation of time gives the individual a purpose in their life. However, without that limited time-span, the individual can lose sight of their purpose and this can cause disruption to their categorical desires to

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