Death is life’s great mystery. It touches the lives of everyone and has triggered people’s imagination since ancient times. Every major religion and philosophical school has sought to explain death and every culture has its own ways of dealing with it. Death is relevant to every branch of science, from biology to literature studies to sociology, and obviously, to medicine.
Average life expectancy and median age at death have steadily increased over the past century. In many parts of the world, people are healthier and can be productive for longer than ever before in history. The increase of longevity has large consequences on individual and societal level. It creates opportunities, but also new problems and challenges. On the other hand, many people still die at a young age because of diseases, accidents, warfare and crime. Despite our longer life spans, we all die and with our longer lives the relevance of death and dying seems to have only increased. At the same time, because the average age of death has increased, dying and death seem to have become less present in our daily lives.
Death may be scary, but can also be longed for, as we have seen in recent political debates. Some people want to die and request medical assistance, not because of intolerable suffering or disease, but because they feel that their life is fully lived. Furthermore, 800.000 people worldwide commit suicide each year, not always in response to a mental or physical disease. One could argue that the modern urge to control one’s life also addresses the moment of dying, Or, as the European Court of Human Rights has considered: every one has the right to decide by what means and at what point his or her life will end, provided he or she is capable of freely reaching a decision on this question and acting in consequence. This raises the question who is responsible for the avoidance but also for the effectuation of dying. All in all, the topic of death merits attention.
Have a basic understanding of the biological mechanisms and evolutionary purpose of death.
Have a basic understanding of various historical and philosophical perspectives on death and dying.
Know and be able to reflect upon the demographics, causes and the psychological and social consequences of increased longevity.
Be able to reflect upon the topic of self-determination and modern people’s urge to control their own fate, and the ethical and legal aspects of this.
Have basic knowledge and understanding of the sociology and psychology of suicidal behavior.
Be familiar with both intentions and actual possibilities of palliative care and well-being in the final stages of life.
The literature will be made available on Blackboard.
Application via a short motivational letter explaining the reasons for following this summer course; what the student expects to learn; what s/he may contribute.