Philosophy of Death
Meaning and Morality.
Please download the basic materials from below.
Please read all the materials (except Part III [Philosophical Reflection]), at least twice before you come for the class on Aug 28, 2018. The exam will be at 3:00 PM.
Topics for Essay
(3000 words; at least 7 books and articles to be referred. Argue your point): Last date November 10, 2018. Please send it to this email id only: jdvkuru@gmail.com
1. Your personal experience of death and Reflections on it (Near Death Experience)
a.
b.
c.
2. Any one insight (quote) from Tuesdays with Morrie
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
3. Death and Life after according to any Religious tradition (including atheism)
4. Near Death Experience: General
5. Near Death Experience of Raymond Moody
6. Tibetan Book of Death
7. Gratefully and Gracefully
8. Depth of Death
9. Last Lecture: Randy Pausch
10. When Breath Becomes Air: Paul Kalanithi
11. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End; Atul Gawande
12. Death at My Doorstep: Kushwant Singh
13. Denial of Death: Ernest Becker
14. Escape from Evil: Ernest Becker
15. Terror Management Theory: Ernest Becker
16. Death Drive (Thanatos): Sigmund Freud
17. Transhumanism and denying death
18. Scientific Treatment of Death
19. Death and Funeral Customs
20. “To study philosophy is to learn to die" Michel de Montaigne
21. Life as denying or delaying death
22. Philosophy of Death (Paul Ricoeur, Martin Heidegger)
23. The End of the World: The Science and Ethics of Human Extinction (John Leslie's book)
24. The dynamic tension between death, life and meaning
25. Beyond (or Between) life and death (Life as tightrope walking)
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/sheldon-solomon-on-fear-of-death/
26. Intimate death: what the dying taaches the living
Internal Assessment
There will be half an hour of test on 28 August, 2018. Taking the test is a condition for this course. It is an open-book test. If for any reason, you are unable to take the test on August 28, meet me earlier, so that we can anticipate the test (not postpone it). [20 marks]
As part of internal assessment, you are expected to write three essays (600 words each) on three insights on death, which you have gathered from the reading materials. [30 marks]
Answer any 15 questions in 5-7 sentences each. Submit the answers by 4:00 PM on August 30, 2018,
1. How did St Perpetua die?
2. Why did Socrates die?
3. Who is Morrie Schwartz?
4. What is the sickness affecting Morrie?
5. Who is Ted Koppel?
6. The First Tuesday We Talk About the World: Give the basic insigshts.
7. “Feeling sorry about yourself:” What is Morrie’s advice?
8. How do you compare Morrie’s idea of regret with John Izzo’s?
9. “Fourth Tuesday: we talk about death:” Give its main contents.
10. What does Morrie say about emotions?
11. What does Morrie think of marriage in our society?
12. The fear of aging: Is this our basic attitude?
13. Describe the main features of our culture (11th Tuesday).
14. What is a perfect day? OR What is the “graduation” in Mitch Albom’s novel?
15. "Without love we all are like birds with broken wings." Comment
16. "There is no such thing as 'too late' in life." Reflect
17. Give a summary of Izzo’s book.
18. Reflect critically on the first lesson: Be true to your own self
19. Reflect critically on the second lesson: Leaving No Regrets
20. Reflect critically on the third lesson: Becoming Love
21. Reflect critically on the fourth lesson: Living the Moment
22. Reflect critically on the fifth lesson: Giving More than Taking
23. What is logotherapy?
24. What isKhushwant Singh’s opinion on death?
25. What is Randy Pausch’s last lecture about?
26. What is the main insight of “Last Lecture?”
27. “Until you got ice cream spilled on you, you’re not doing field work.” Comment.
28. What is the main insight of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Gabo)?