The Veritas Forum

Anthropologist Ernest Becker, in his Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Denial of Death, says that denying death is a necessary part of functioning in the world. It’s what inspires us to create culture, religion, and love, allowing us to avoid death and achieve immortality.

But perhaps there is another way — besides denial — to relate to death. What should our relationship with death look like? And, how often — and to what degree — should we contemplate our mortality?

Today's episode addresses these questions. You'll hear from philosophy professor Susanna Siegel (Harvard), and medical ethicist Lydia Dugdale (Columbia) in a Forum Event hosted at Harvard University in February 2023.

• Watch the full Forum event from this episode here.
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