https://doi.org/10.31261/CHOWANNA.2005.25.13
One of the most fundamental aspects of the human condition—as existential philosophers often remind us—is the awareness of finitude. Human beings know that they are subject to blind natural forces and must ultimately die. They understand that during their fragile existence, they are dependent on a socially constructed world in which nothing is truly reliable: wealth can vanish, power can collapse or become destructive at any moment, and loved ones are vulnerable to illness, madness, and death. Blaise Pascal illustrated this allegorically: “Let us imagine a group of people in chains, condemned to death; each day, the executioner kills some in the sight of the others, while those who remain see their own fate reflected in that of their companions. Looking at one another in sorrow, yet without hope, they await their turn. This is the human condition.” The inevitability of death casts an inescapable shadow over life, presenting a relentless existential dilemma. Reflections on death take many forms. Philosophy and theology explore its origins, meaning, and the ideological conflicts surrounding it. Art theory examines representations (symbols) of agony and the afterlife. Biological and medical sciences investigate the boundaries of life and describe the mechanisms of aging. Linguistics, meanwhile, focuses on the interpretation of messages and discourses about death.
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Vol. 2 No. 25 (2005)
Published: 2025-08-18
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