LESSON 13
OUR ULTIMATE FATE
Learning Objectives:
Discuss philosophical views regarding death and how it defines
human existence
Discuss views on how a person should deal with death
Discuss how death defines existence
Explain how faith enables us to understand death and the promise of
salvation
Describe ways of dealing with loss and provide examples
Evaluate their own lives and make a personal commitment to make
their lives meaningful
What is DEATH
Death is the end of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. In
medical term, death of a human being is associated with “brain death” or the
ceasing of all brain functions. The causes of death include aging, disease,
and fatal injury.
Death is considered to be a natural occurrence , and as a person advance in
age, the certainty of death is seen in the gradual decline of the human body.
Aging or senescence is the decline of the senses such as sight and hearing, ,
gradual loss of vitality and mobility, mental decline, and increased frailty
and susceptibility to injury or disease.
One view considers aging as being brought about by gradual
mutations and defects in the genes as the body ages, leading to
damage and loss of tissue in aging people
In other disciplines like philosophy, psychology, and the other
social sciences consider death as an experience which involves not
only the deceased individual but also other people and community
Reincarnation – the belief that a person’s spirit begins a new life on
another body
Eternal oblivion – the belief that the person’s consciousness is
completely erased upon death
How does the prospect of death give significance
to our lives?
A major question that philosophers consider when discussing death is
what happens to the person when he dies.
The dualist perspective believes that the mind or spirit, being
incorporeal, persists after the body’s demise.
Afterlife – an idea which believed that the spirit of the dead survives
and continues to persist.
Eternal oblivion – a belief that death totally extinguishes the
consciousness of the person.
For Greeks, afterlife is the underworld where the dead is
awarded or punished for their actions in life
Hindu sects believe that the dead go to one of the many
paradises or hells.
For Christianity, the righteous enter Heaven while sinners go to
Hell.
Near death experience – a belief through which people who are
close to death experience the afterlife.
How our faith helps us understand death?
The Christian perspective considers death in the context of man’s
spiritual nature. Death entails the destruction of the physical body, as
man is created from dust, and in death, he returns to dust.
The theistic view define the meaning of human life as part of a larger
plan devised by God. Within God’s plan, all things in existence have
their purpose or value. The ultimate purpose of the person is to know
God and to be perfectly united with him.
How should one face death and loss?
Grief – is the natural reaction to death and dying. The experience of
grief often involves a multitude of emotions such as sadness, anxiety,
anger, and guilt.
Bereavement – is the state of loss brought about by death.
Mourning – is the process by which persons deal with death. Mourning
involves various practices, traditions, and observances that vary from
culture to culture.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
• Proposes the 5 Stage of Grief that a dying people, as well as the
people closest to them, undergo
1. Denial – the dying person expresses disbelief regarding his or her
situation; those who hear of the death of a loved one often refuse to
believe the news at first.
2. Anger – the person expresses frustration with his or her situation.
Dying people often vent their anger and frustration on the people
closest to them , and often express that their situation is “unfair”
3. Bargaining – the dying person often voices his or her wish that his or
her life be prolonged, and that he or she is willing to do whatever it
take to survive.
4. Depression – the dying person experience intense sadness and
exhibits disinterest in life and its normal routines.
5. Acceptance – this is the last emotional stage of grief when the person
finally comes to terms with his or her impending death and has
embraced his or her mortality.
George Bonnano
• He views that grief does not necessarily proceed along conventional
stages as proposed by Kubler-Ross
• He proposes the four trajectories of grief
1. Resilience – the person remains emotionally stable despite the
loss, and continues with his or her normal activities.
2. Recovery – the person experiences a period of grief , but this
eventually gives way to recovery and a return to normalcy.
3. Chronic Depression – the grieving person experiences intense
and chronic depression which continues long after the death or
traumatic experience has passed. The depression may passed for
several years and the affected person often needs counseling and
support to overcome this.
4. Delayed Grief – the person may seem to be well-adjusted but
experiences feelings of grief , anxiety, and distress at a late time.
Death and grieving are difficult transition in life but with adequate
support and the proper perspective, one can face this important
aspect of human existence with acceptance, calm, and dignity. The
realization of the significance of death in our lives can give way to
a new resolve to strive to achieve meaning and relevance in our
lives.
The End
Thank You For Listening
“I hope that what you learn in this course changes your
perspective in life. Philosophy is not only learned in school.
Rather, it is learned all throughout your journey as you
invoke for a meaningful life.”