Duties to the past and past selves

Scholars call them “Ulysses contracts.” They are when people decide to take away their own freedom in the future when they think they aren’t in a position to make a good decision. An alcoholic may ask a rehab center to kidnap her and force herself back to rehab should she relapse, a sufferer of bi-polar disorder may require family and doctors to force medication in the event of an episode, those who anticipate dementia may even request physician-assisted suicide in some countries. On an even larger scale, cultures and countries sometimes hold themselves to the visions of their founders and past people even at the expense of current ones, out of feeling of obligation to the past and to vindicate past sacrifices. These kinds of practices are not without problems, and detractors. The next event leading up to the fifth season of Hi-Phi Nation is June 10, 1pm ET, 6pm British time, and features a distinguished panel discussion on whether and when we have duties to our past and past selves. It is free, and there is a special invite-only “Green Room” discussion where you can speak “face to face” with the panelists. Just register to get the Zoom link here, and put “Hi-Phi Nation” in the “Affiliation” category to get the VIP Green Room link. https://marcsandersfoundation.org/duty/