Changing Attitudes Toward Death

1
Changing Attitudes Toward Death

• How our ancestors thought about death.

2
Death Related Concerns

• Four major concerns reappear consistently
  throughout history (at least from European
  perspective).
• Ones own dying often a reflection of fears and
  anxiety (e.g., long and painful death). One
  result is a living will.
• The death of ones self what happens to the self
  at the moment of death. Does death equal a
  battle for your soul? Absolute nothingness?

3
More Death Related Concerns

• What happens to the self after death?
• Nothingness?
• Judgment?
• Spiritual reward?
• Dying, death, or bereavement of another
• For instance, a child wondering what happens if
  his/her parents die, or a husband wondering if
  the life insurance policy is large enough.

4
Philippe Aries Historical Western attitudes
toward death and the dead

• Ancient History the dead are impure. Bodies are
  placed outside of towns.
• Why does this make sense?
• Tame Death (500-1100 AD).
• Death is a familiar and public event.
• One calmly accepts the inevitable, the rationale
  is that death is merely sleep until the second
  coming.
• Poor are buried in common grave, rich in
  churches.
• Cemeteries are the public squares.

5
Western attitudes toward death

• Death of the self (1100-1600)
• In the 12th century the emphasis on the last
  judgment became more important.
• Thus, death can now be a threatening event.
• Moment of death was now viewed as a threatening
  ordeal where your souls fate was decided.
• A key element of this philosophy is a view of the
  self as unique and distinct.
• Combination of fascination with and revulsion of
  the body. Coffins are used, faces are shrouded.

6
Western attitudes toward death

• Remote and imminent death (1600-1800)
• Transition period. Renaissance and Reformation
  leads to a loosening of religious controls.
• Death is viewed as natural and beautiful, but
  also as fearsome and dangerous.
• Fascination with cadavers. Eroticisation of
  death as people keep parts of the dead (e.g.,
  heart, or hair)
• Cemeteries are moved outside of town, no longer
  viewed as social places.

7
Western attitudes toward death

• Death of the other (1800-1900)
• Focuses on the relationships broken by death.
• Death is beautiful and a release from suffering.
• Death is sleep until you are reunited with
  loved ones.
• The afterlife does not involve suffering.
• The dead are pseudo living. May haunt places,
  leading to rise in spiritualism.
• Cemeteries are still outside of towns. They are
  feared (haunted) and unclean. However

8
Death of the other

• Government takes role of burial away from church.
  Private graves and markers become the norm.
• Now cemeteries are decreed clean and the idea of
  the family visit to the cemetery is born.
• All this leads to the cult of the dead (e.g.,
  tombs, ornate private markers, private plots)

9
Western attitudes toward death

• Death denied, forbidden death, invisible death
  (1900-today)
• Death is medicalized and banished from the home.
• Death is not natural, instead it is a failure of
  the doctor.
• It is offensive and should occur in private.
  Daily life is unmarked by death.
• Emotion is frowned upon. Often the dying and
  bereaved are isolated.
• Morticians create the illusion of life.