The Universal Fear of Death and the Cultural Response by Calvin Conzelus Moore and John B. illia!

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The fear of death see!s to be innate. "u!ans are often afraid of the un#no$n% and death is the &reatest of all un#no$ns. 'nd in order to (ontinue fun(tionin& and thus avoid !ore death due to the possibly paralyzin& and (haoti( effe(ts the terror of death !ay (ause% hu!ans have both intentionally and unintentionally devised a syste!. This syste! is (alled (ulture. ' lar&e purpose of (ulture is to e)plain the une)plainable and (onse*uently (reate !eanin& of life and death. This helps alleviate the fear of death% and in doin& so% helps ensure the survival of our spe(ies. The drive to survive is $ithin itself a response to the fear of death. 'nd the (reation of (ulture% the (usto!ary beliefs% so(ial for!s% and !aterial traits of a ra(ial% reli&ious% or so(ial &roup% is a(tually a (o!ponent to our survival. Culture is not only a buffer to our fear of death+ it is also a survival s#ill. The fear of death is innate. The se(urity blan#et that (ulture serves as helps to #eep order $hi(h in turn helps (ontinue hu!an e)isten(e. "u!ans have al$ays had a fear of death. ,reliterate hu!ans $ere so horrified by the death of a (o!!unity !e!ber that so!e $ould abandon their ho!es and only return years later. But our an(estors $ere $ise and #ne$ that runnin& $as not al$ays (onvenient+ they needed a $ay to (ope $ith death. -o% they developed pra(ti(es surroundin& the disposal of the (orpse $hi(h served to reinte&rate the (o!!unity by allo$in& !e!bers to assert so!e !anner of (ontrol over the so(iety.s relationship $ith death and the dead. /arly hu!ans invented e)planations for death% and $ith it% the idea of an afterlife. This (reated !eanin& of life% and $hen (onfronted $ith death% the horror (ould be lessened be(ause there $as no$ a reason for death. Reli&ion and !a&i( $ere t$o early $ays hu!ans tried to over(o!e their fear of death. Throu&h reli&ion% life and death $ere &iven !eanin&% and the &ods (ould re$ard a person in the

afterlife. Throu&h !a&i(% a pra(titioner (ould &ain (ontrol over the for(es in life. Reli&ion is one of the !ost funda!ental sy!boli( syste!s that early hu!ans (reated to ease death an)iety. Reli&ion addresses t$o of the !ost basi( fears of hu!ans0 fear of the dead and fear of $hat $ill happen to us after $e die. This fear (an be so over$hel!in& that it leads to so(ial dysfun(tion and disorder. But reli&ion &ives death !eanin&% and reli&ion ensures an afterlife if all rules are follo$ed. The rules also serve as &uidelines of ho$ to live% and $hen the !a1ority of a population follo$s the rules% the result is so(ial order. 2rder and or&anization represent a fli&ht fro! death% $hereas disorder ulti!ately leads% throu&h (haos% to death. Reli&ion also (reates po$er for rulers by !a#in& sure that (ertain pra(ti(es be follo$ed% and if they are not% not only (an the ruler order the deviant be put to death% but the insur&ent $ill li#ely e)perien(e an unpleasant afterlife. 'nother interestin& aspe(t of the fear of death is related to #illin& and sa(rifi(e. 2ne !i&ht thin# that a person $ould avoid #illin& and sa(rifi(e be(ause they dire(tly deal $ith death. 2n the (ontrary% #illin& and sa(rifi(e &ive the #iller a sense of po$er. The #iller te!porarily feels as thou&h they are in (ontrol of death by bein& the (ause of it. 3t is as thou&h they are playin& 4od% and a feelin& of intense po$er ensues% as thou&h they (an #ill but not be #illed. 5illin& and sa(rifi(e $ere also done to please the &ods and $ould *ualify parti(ipants for re$ards in both this life and the afterlife. 'lso% the i!!ediate (onfrontation $ith death (ould serve the purpose of alleviatin& death an)iety in the future by allo$in& all !e!bers to have already had dire(t e)perien(e $ith it. Culture also uses the body to redu(e the fear of death. The body is often seen to be dirty and (orruptible+ the soul% the opposite. The body is asso(iated $ith death+ the soul lives on forever. "u!ans #ne$ that the body !ust be #ept healthy in order to slo$ the en(roa(h!ent of

death% and so% !any rules $ere set% often throu&h reli&ion% on !atters pertainin& to food and se). -u(h pra(ti(es $ould slo$ death as $ell as serve as a for! of (ontrol and order% $hi(h in turn serve to defy death and (haos. Middle '&e Christians despised the body. By (ausin& the body to suffer% they $ere preparin& the $ay to freein& their soul. -o!e even en&a&ed in self6sa(rifi(e. 7ot only $ould su(h an a(t help the! live on in the !inds of livin& so(iety !e!bers% servin& as a sy!boli( i!!ortality% but it also (onfronted death head on% provin& that one $as not afraid of death and $as ready to free the soul and ta#e on a ne$ body. To sa(rifi(e one.s o$n life for a better afterlife (onvin(es the person that their belief is !ore than 1ust a belief and that they $ill for certain live on and be free at the !o!ent of death+ so% $hy fear it8 The 4ree#s often relied on te!peran(e. They realized that the body $as a sour(e of intense pleasure but also realized that e)(ess $as a path to death. They used reason to find a balan(e. The Buddhists and "indus believed that desire is sufferin&. Their &oal is to rea(h nirvana% but that (an only be done by freein& the self fro! the desires of the body. Desires of the body are seen as hindran(es to enli&hten!ent. Rather% !editation $as en(oura&ed. 2nly throu&h enli&hten!ent (an one be free fro! the (y(le of death and rebirth and the sufferin&s of the $orld. 2ne !ust deta(h oneself fro! the bodily and $orldly desires. 2ne (an see ho$ the pra(ti(es re&ardin& the body are stron&ly lin#ed to the fear of death. Reason and philosophy also atte!pt to deal $ith the fear of death. -o!e thin#ers believed that at the !o!ent of death% the !ind9soul also died and that there $as no afterlife to !ove on to. 2thers% li#e -o(rates and ,lato% believed that the soul lived on after the death of the physi(al body. /pi(urus believed that the soul dissolved upon death and that fear of the &ods and the afterlife $ere only obsta(les to en1oyin& our lives. Montai&ne thou&ht that it is the fa(t of death that &ives life its value% that life is a &ift !ade all the !ore real by death. 2ne (an see

ho$ su(h a perspe(tive (ould lead to a !ore passionately lived life. 'nother idea is "eide&&er.s% fo(used on de!ystifyin& death and livin& an authenti( life. -till% there are !any !ore ideas based in reason. Re&ardless of the different philosophi(al approa(hes to death% all still serve a si!ilar purpose0 to deal $ith death and ho$ to live our lives in spite of it. 3n the !odern a&e% $e are still tryin& to deal $ith our proble!s related to death. First% $e !ust a(#no$led&e that in our so(iety $e are often not (onfronted $ith death as $e $ere in the past. hereas in the past% fa!ily often too# (are of a dyin& relative% no$ often% the $or# is

lar&ely left to do(tors. Medi(ines are bein& used to slo$ do$n i!pendin& death as $ell as to ease the pain and dis(o!fort asso(iated $ith it. /ven !ore i!portant is !odern so(iety.s fo(us on the individual. "u!ans do not $ant to a((ept that their lives !ay very $ell be !eanin&less. They do not $ant to a((ept that here they are livin&% &oin& to die% and there $as no point to any of it. 7ot only is this a depressin& thou&ht% but it is terrifyin&. e live to die. My life has no !eanin&% and 3 $ill &o into nothin&ness. But if $e (reate the illusion that our lives have !eanin&% even if $e do not believe in an afterlife% $e &ain a sense of sy!boli( i!!ortality% (reatin& a sort of illusion that $e do live on after death. Fo(usin& on the individual and the !eanin& he $ill (ontribute to the $orld boosts his self6estee! and !a#es hi! feel li#e a valuable !e!ber of so(iety% thus (reatin& si&nifi(an(e to his life. "eroes% rulers% and (elebrities are so!e obvious e)a!ples of people $ho (an live forever thou&h they have died. Fa!e &ives even an atheist an afterlife. -till fo(usin& on the individual% $e e)plore terror !ana&e!ent theory. This theory states that the a$areness of !ortality produ(es a potentially paralyzin& terror in hu!ans and that $e re*uire (ultural $orldvie$s that !ediate this terror by instillin& in individuals the idea that they are valuable !e!bers of parti(ular (o!!unities. 3f $e do not follo$ the sy!boli( syste!s that our (ultures and sub(ultures (reate and abide by% $e are dee!ed un$orthy !e!bers. 3 propose

then% that be(ause listenin& to :il.

ayne $hile si!ultaneously te)tin& on your 36pad and

updatin& your Fa(eboo# status is $hat apparently &ives $orth to our youn& adults today% those $ho &o a&ainst this $ould be seen as un$orthy by the lar&er $hole and thus !ore sus(eptible to feelin& li#e invaluable and !eanin&less !e!bers of so(iety% sub(ons(iously raisin& their level of death an)iety. 'side fro! $hat is dee!ed $orthy and un$orthy% $e live in a fast6pa(ed $orld of distra(tions. e seldo! (o!!une $ith nature% an a(t that $ould re!ind us ho$ s!all $e are

in the !idst of su(h a bi& universe. 2ur (onversations are futile and !eanin&less. 'nd $e don.t stop to see nor sear(h for truth. 7ot that a person should obsess over death% but all these thin&s do distra(t us fro! the reality of our inevitable deaths. 'nd 3 believe $e live in a ti!e and a pla(e that is !ore distra(ted than ever. 'nd if the a$areness of death is $hat !a#es one live life to the fullest% that (ould e)plain $hy so !any lives are lived in vain. That (ould e)plain $hy so !any people (han&e their $ay of life after re(eivin& a death senten(e or losin& a loved one. There are !any !ore fa(tors lin#ed to the fear of death. For e)a!ple% (ertain beliefs buffer the fear of death better than others. For instan(e% Christian reli&ions tend to redu(e death an)iety !ore than Buddhis!% attributed possibly to the fa(t that Christian reli&ions believe that in the afterlife% the person.s soul re!ains their o$n and they re(eive a ne$ body. 3n Buddhis!% pra(titioners see# the annihilation of the self to be(o!e oneness $ith the universe. 7ot only do they not re(eive a ne$ body% but their soul also disperses% resultin& in loss of individuality. 'lso% a((ordin& to Firth6Cozens and Field% $o!en tend to have a &reater fear of death than !en% as do youn&er adults in (o!parison to older adults. 2n the other hand% the fear of death is rather prevalent in the elderly% possibly due to their a&e and nearin& death% as $ell as lo$ self6estee! and the lo$ values that !odern so(iety atta(hes to the a&ed. ' &reater death fear is also !ore (o!!on in those $ho have e)perien(ed trau!ati( events% as (an be seen fro! the ;6<< atta(#s.

Thou&h $e !ay try to re!ove death fro! our lives% and thus lessen our fears of death% fear is a natural response to the threat of death% and that dire(t (onfrontation $ith the possibility of death (an erode the sy!boli( buffers that (ultures ere(t bet$een individuals and death. hat it (o!es do$n to is that hu!ans fear death. e try to find e)planation and !eanin&

in The Mystery be(ause there !ay very $ell be none or $e !ay never #no$% at least not any ti!e soon. 3t (ould be possible that not only (ould $e psy(holo&i(ally not be able to live $ith su(h a truth% but also physi(ally% as su(h a truth (ould lead to either so(ietal paralysis or (haos% both of $hi(h (ould result in our eventual de!ise. My point is that the sy!boli( syste!s $e.ve (reated are not 1ust there to !a#e us feel better. hen $e feel better% $e fun(tion better. hen

$e fun(tion better% $e have a better (han(e at survival. 3t see!s that both feelin& &ood and the fear of death are innate in hu!ans% and the t$o $or#in& to&ether have (reated (ulture. 2ur very distra(tion fro! death and the fear it (auses !ay not 1ust be $hat #eeps the hu!an spe(ies happy% but also $hat #eeps it alive. 3t see!s that $e #no$ one thin& for (ertain0 Death is (o!in&. 3t also see!s that no !atter $hat $e believe and no !atter ho$ stron&ly $e believe it% nobody knows The 'ns$ers. Culture atte!pts to &ive us those ans$ers. hat 3 *uestion thou&h is% ho$ is it possible% $hen $e realize

this% that $e still are able to hold so ti&htly to (ulture.s e)planations8 2n(e $e realize that our beliefs and e)planations are li#ely only en(ultured atte!pts at e)plainin& the un#no$n% ho$ are $e still able to follo$ su(h $ays and still $ith su(h stron& (onvi(tion8 3s that to live a lie8 3 also *uestion Ca!us. "e $as an atheist $ho believed that our e)isten(e $as absurd% yet that $e should revolt a&ainst this absurdity and live our !eanin&less lives as thou&h they have !eanin&. 3 ad!ire su(h an attitude but feel so!e$hat as thou&h life (ould never truly be lived authenti(ally. For if it is true that our lives are in fa(t !eanin&less% to live as thou&h our lives

have !eanin& is a lie. 'lthou&h% 3 do also see Ca!us. approa(h in itself to be very authenti( as $ell as e!po$erin& by in so!e $ay !a#in& so!ethin& out of $hat is nihilisti(ally nothin&. 3 also see !u(h of (ulture as a !eans to inauthenti(ity. -o !u(h of $ho $e are is only a result of $ho $e $ere en(ultured to be. 're our beliefs our o$n or $hat $e $ere tau&ht to believe8 'nd it see!s that thou&h our distra(tions fro! death and our buffers a&ainst death an)iety !ay help us be happier and !ore fun(tional% 3 feel so!e$hat that these distra(tions are only lies. 't the sa!e ti!e% to obsess over death !a#es even a life $ith !eanin& see! pretty fu(#in& !eanin&less. :ife $ould be(o!e !iserable and the $hole e)perien(e a $aste. 'nd even if that doesn.t !atter on(e you.re dead% 3 suppose it does $hile you.re alive. 'nd so one !ust (hoose ho$ to live. hat a diffi(ult de(ision $hen life is (onstant (han&e and the *uestions never (ease=

'nd even to live in a sort of pur&atory by not yet (hoosin& ho$ to live is in itself a (hoi(e% as $ell as a parado). 3% personally% leave this thin#in&% to *uote -o(rates% 'll 3 #no$ is that 3 #no$ nothin&.