Whats more compelling, the death of an individual or the extinction of a race?
It’s necessary to establish at the outset a concrete definition of both the terms extinction’ and death’ in order for a more specific analysis to be conducted. Extinction, in its strict paleontological terms, is accomplished when the last representative of a single taxon dies”. It can be suggested that we might also distinguish the point when the organism in question is no longer able to reproduce; while scientifically speaking any such subtlety is pointless – not least within the realms of science fiction, where matters of reproduction are not necessarily confined to the conventional design of species – this is a more viable postulate for these purposes, as it will allow for stories of holocaust survivors and last men’. Death, for its own part, is a more uncertain term (especially when religion is brought into the equation, but due to the relative complexity of the matter it shall remain absent for here). Death is commonly seen as “the irreversible ending of life”, but the problems wi
