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Death

Essays and videos on philosophy, the history of ideas, ethics and life’s big questions

Beauty and aesthetics Bioethics Comparative philosophy Cosmopolitanism Death Ethics History of ideas Knowledge Logic and probability Meaning and the good life Metaphysics Philosophy of language Philosophy of mind Philosophy of religion Philosophy of science Political philosophy Thinkers and theories Values and beliefs Virtues and vices

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An elderly person lying in a hospital bed in a bright room with a walker and a window nearby.

essayDeath

Freedom over death

Death is a certainty. But choosing how and when we depart is a modest opportunity for freedom – and dignity

Michael Cholbi

Three ancient human skeletons laid side by side in an archaeological excavation site.

essayArchaeology

Deep time and the revenant

In enigmatic burials, crafted to bind the bodies within, we can see how truly ancient our fears of the undead must be

Rebecca Batley

Black and white photo of a firing squad in a wooded area with snow on the ground, soldiers aiming rifles at standing figures.

essayDeath

The last letter

Condemned to death by firing squad, French resistance fighters put pen to paper. Their dying words can teach us how to live

Daniel R Brunstetter

Blurry photo of a person lying back with head tilted, set against a red and dark background.

essaySex and sexuality

Sex and death

Our culture works hard to keep sex and death separate but recharging the libido might provide the release that grief needs

Cody Delistraty

Microscopic view of various microorganisms and particles in a blue liquid, showing a large oval-shaped microorganism amidst smaller particles.

videoBiology

An elegy for a dying microbe explores what we really mean by ‘death’

9 minutes

A colourful, abstract image featuring a large, black and white bird in flight. The background is a swirling mix of purple, orange, and yellow hues. A small figure of a child walks in the distance, casting a long shadow.

essayAgeing and death

Peregrinations of grief

A friend and a falcon went missing. In pain, I turned to ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ – and found a new vision of sorrow and time

Emily Polk

A person stands in a sunlit forest, holding a compound bow, and wearing outdoor gear with a backpack.

videoDeath

A hunter’s lyrical reflection on the humbling business of being mortal

6 minutes

Black-and white photo of a man wearing glasses and a suit sitting in a chair in front of a blackboard in a classroom.

essayThinkers and theories

We’ll meet again

The intrepid logician Kurt Gödel believed in the afterlife. In four heartfelt letters to his mother he explained why

Alexander T Englert

A figure is silhouetted in an older style apartment block window at night. In the distance are taller modern tower block apartments

essayCities

The haunting of modern China

In Nanjing, Hong Kong and other Chinese cities, rapid urbanisation is multiplying a fear of death and belief in ghosts

Andrew Kipnis

A person in a lab coat holds an alligator hand puppet and a mouse hand puppet, mimicking an interaction between them.

videoDeath

Even in modern secular societies, belief in an afterlife persists. Why?

9 minutes

People walking towards a crashed aeroplane in a snowy field with trees in the background.

videoMeaning and the good life

The world turns vivid, strange and philosophical for one plane crash survivor

16 minutes

Three rams with large curved horns standing on grass near a wooden fence and a small tree in the background.

videoDeath

Toby ponders the inner lives of the sheep that roam atop his parents’ graves

6 minutes

Close-up of a tabby cat sleeping with its paws tucked in, showing a peaceful expression with closed eyes and striped fur.

essayAnimals and humans

Goodbye Pixel

Although it felt more like bereavement for a person than the loss of a thing, the death of a pet isn’t exactly like either

Julian Baggini

Elderly couple sitting outdoors, both wearing glasses and light-coloured shirts, with greenery in the background.

videoAgeing and death

When his elderly parents make a suicide pact, Doron struggles to accept their choice

19 minutes

Abstract painting with swirling blue tones and a bright yellow centre, resembling a starry night sky. A dark form lies to the left.

videoRituals and celebrations

In a Mongolian wind burial, a body falls on land before getting swept up to the heavens

6 minutes

A person in black clothing and rubber gloves preparing a coffin adorned with a floral arrangement.

videoValues and beliefs

A funeral director takes in bodies that social stigma leaves unclaimed

11 minutes

Abstract art with subtle silhouettes of a person and white flowers, blending into a misty, ethereal background.

videoAgeing and death

How an end-of-life doula found her vocation as a companion for the dying

7 minutes

Three children looking curiously at an object covered with a translucent cloth in a dimly lit room.

essayDeath

Is grandad on the moon?

We no longer have a clear sense of how to introduce our children to death. But their questions can help us face up to it

Pragya Agarwal

Painting of a woman in a black-and-white gown gesturing to three men, with a person lying on a bed behind a curtain in the background.

essayMeaning and the good life

Final thoughts

Do deathbed regrets give us a special insight into what really matters in life? There are good reasons to be sceptical

Neil Levy

A man in a white shirt with the text ‘Hey Kobe’ and Kanji script sits before a makeshift memorial of flowers, candles, and balloons.

videoMood and emotion

Grieving Kobe Bryant, Conor wonders: why do untimely celebrity deaths hit so hard?

6 minutes

Painting of skeletons engaging with people in various scenes, set against a countryside background, featuring German text.

ideaMeaning and the good life

Sooner or later we all face death. Will a sense of meaning help us?

Warren Ward

Bronze statue of a bearded man raising his arm next to a horse’s head.

ideaMeaning and the good life

Marcus Aurelius helped me survive grief and rebuild my life

Jamie Lombardi

Aerial view of a cemetery with rows of headstones on grass, featuring a freshly dug grave in the middle right section.

essayDeath

This mortal coil

The fear of death drives many evils, from addiction to prejudice and war. Can it also be harnessed as a force for good?

Jeff Greenberg

Charcoal drawing of a melancholic woman holding a white handkerchief to her face, with dark shading surrounding the figure.

ideaPsychiatry and psychotherapy

It’s complicated – why some grief takes much longer to heal

Marie Lundorff