Death: A Philosophical Inquiry

✍ Scribed by Paul Fairfield

• Publisher: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group
• Year: 2015
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 149
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

From Nietzsche's pronouncement that "God is dead" to Camus' argument that suicide is the fundamental question of philosophy, the concept of death plays an important role in existential phenomenology, reaching from Kierkegaard to Heidegger and Marcel. This book explores the phenomenology of death and offers a unique way into the phenomenological tradition. Paul Fairfield examines the following key topics: the modern denial of death. Heidegger's important concept of 'being-toward-death' and its centrality in phenomenological ideas, such as authenticity and existence; the philosophical significance of death rituals: what explains the imperative toward ritual around death, and what is its purpose and meaning? Death in an age of secularism. The philosophy and ethics of suicide. Death as a mystery rather than a philosophical problem to be solved the relationship between hope and death. Death: A Philosophical Inquiry is essential reading for students of phenomenology and existentialism, and will also be of interest to students in related fields such as religion, anthropology and the medical humanities.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Half Title......Page 2
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Table of Contents......Page 8
Introduction: death and existence......Page 12
1 The denial of death......Page 23
Denial and morality......Page 25
Denial as pathology......Page 30
Overcoming denial......Page 33
Ritual and meaning......Page 46
On the advantages and disadvantages of secularization for death......Page 57
3 Voluntary death......Page 66
The scientization of suicide......Page 69
Existential rebellion......Page 73
The meanings of suicide......Page 76
4 Being-toward-death......Page 88
Aspects......Page 89
Authenticity and inauthenticity......Page 92
Temporality and anxiety......Page 96
5 Openness to mystery......Page 106
Mystery......Page 108
Familiarity......Page 111
Humility......Page 116
Acceptance......Page 119
Openness......Page 123
6 On speculation and hope......Page 128
Knowledge and speculation......Page 129
Hope......Page 135
Conclusion: death as educator......Page 142
Index......Page 147

✦ Subjects

Death, Philosophy: Movements: Humanism