Philosophy of Death

Philosophical and Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Death
Dr Rona Cohen
 

Death is the condition of being without life, it marks the end of life, but could it also be a phenomenon of life? We ordinarily view death as the opposite of life, the endpoint, the final cessation or dead-end of our being, hence, the finishing off of all that was once possible. Indeed philosophers like Epicurus believed that death is of no concern to either the living or the dead, “since for the former it is not, and the latter are no more”, yet humanity’s obsession with death shows that this view is insufficient. Death is an event that one never directly experiences or apprehends, so why is it that human being’s relation to death is, first of all, what defines human subjectivity? How is it that in recognizing the undeniable certainty of one’s death, something fundamental about life is disclosed? Indeed whereas death is the most universal truth, our attitude towards death defines our very own singularity. This course examines our relationship to death from philosophical and psychoanalytic perspectives. Included among the topics the course covers are the philosopher’s death wish (Plato’s Phaedo), the denial of death in Western culture (Bauman, Aries), the death of the other (Levinas), Death and authenticity (Heidegger), the politicization of death (Agamben), the death drive (Freud) and more.

Final requirement: Paper Grade: 85% Paper, 15% Attendance and participation