A Philosophical Perspective on Death
- February 10, 2019
- Posted by: RSIS
- Category: Social Science
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue I, January 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186
A Philosophical Perspective on Death
(Perspective essay)
Elvis Omondi Kauka
Department of Educational Foundations, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Abstract:-This essay examines death from a preliminary Philosophical perspective by scrutinising the positive side of death. It infers that death is a cosmologically, socioeconomically and morally useful phenomenon. It also adduces to the fact that the most logical step to take in life is to accept death and prepare for it, instead of wallowing in endless fear. It is further deduced that death may not be the end of life if at all it is the case that humans are Hylemorphic beings. The essay limits itself to analysis, and part descriptions and prescriptions. The fact that death is an unavoidable but feared Phenomenon, this essay anticipates to open and motivate crucial discussions on the existential assimilation and serene embrace of death.
I. INTRODUCTION
Most human beings react when they hear the news of the death of someone they love, but only a hand full take time to think about death, to examine it and to assess its significance. Serious discussions on death are mostly limited to funerals and requiem services. Unfortunately, funerals usually are emotionally charged events, and they may not evoke rational inquiry into the death. After the funerals, mourners go retreat awaiting the next funeral, and it eventually becomes a routine, a weekly one or a monthly one. In the process, proper discourse on death is suffocated, and the logic of death is considered a taboo. Nonetheless, from a general perspective, death is considered an unavoidable evil that mauls the usual modus operandi in families and societies. In fact, in some communities, it is a taboo to utter the word Death because doing so would be tantamount to inviting it. However, not talking about death whenever the topic is brought forth, is a defence mechanism, escapism that is not fit for logical beings. We hold that in as much death is considered an evil, it can be philosophised and the more it is philosophised, the less mysterious it becomes. After all, the Problem of evil is one of the Problems in Philosophy, and so death is part of Philosophy.
