Scholars of many stripes have over the centuries spoken on the matter of death with most documenting their musings that have in turn resulted in disputatious debate and reflection for many people. Death has been viewed to be a seminal topic that has never been figured out since the dawn of civilization until today. It goes without saying that various scholars have posited wisdom and persuasions linking the death to scenarios that are eschatological by nature while others have documented the conceptualization that involves death and dying. Numerous artifacts have been found in ancient ruins with archaeologists linking them to the pattern that precludes the meaning of life and death. Different people from the many religions, races, and cultures all over the world perceive the issue of death differently. This paper collocate the meaning of death and dying from the enormous corpus of knowledge that has accumulated over the years from varying academic and intellectual perspectives.
Literature
A good number of scholars who address the issue of death and dying dub it as Thanatology which is a broad reference to the intertwined, fugitive and broad literature as well as the various strategies used in the examination of the psychological dimensions of the death process. Two famous scholars formulated two theories to explain the death attitudes of elders namely Carstensen’s socio-emotional selectivity theory and the theory of gerotranscedence by Tornstam (Larson-Miller, 2016). A contemporary look by Australia 2016 gave us a look into the issue of death anxiety being a dependent variable which occurs at the end of the complex variables that are formed from a self or worldview. Most gerontologists have ignored the need to investigate the differing and unsuspected effects of the impacting of death attitudes on individuals. He focused on the grief that engulfs people and how they feel about the issue of dying. A conceptual framework set forth by (Corr, 2018) focuses on the moral and legal issues that revolve around death. The author indicates that it is immoral for a person to take their own life but it is hypothetically legal for one to have their life taken away through euthanasia (Larson-Miller, 2016). Comment by amanda fox: There are many statements in this paragraph, but I am not sure how they all tie together to support a main idea. Make sure each paragraph has a main point and the information supports that. Comment by amanda fox: If these theories aren’t explained, I am not sure why you list them here.
Psychology of Death. Death is best defined as the termination or cessation of any functions of the biological makeup of an organism (Isaacs, 2015). To effectively address or get death, many people resort to mourning which is engulfed at times by melancholia. People tend to mythologize or formulate stories out of splinters from the experiences shared with the dead thus transforming them into an imagine integrity. The process of dying is normally a process that is felt and described by the people involved in it. The basics of the dying experience tend to vary in nature and number with some including the nature of the disease, the treatment environment, the gender and interpersonal relations or even the age of the individual. In some cases where gender influences death, most men tend to think of the financial provisions they are going to live for their family while women tend to be concerned on the integrity of the family. People who have had a tad bit of low experience in their interpersonal experiences tend to show great distress while dying compared to those who have had good interpersonal relationships (Australia, 2016). Comment by amanda fox: Further explanation needed Comment by amanda fox: This seems to be a different topic than what you started out with in this paragraph. Is this paragraph about the process of death or the coping with death? Comment by amanda fox: What does it mean to have a low experience? Comment by amanda fox: In what way?
The ethical and legal issues that surround suicide have been highlighted in many scholarly articles. Most people aligned to suicide argue that its morality is based on a person who is both ration and competent in the making of their own decisions, so they are able to understand the recurring effect of their actions (Corr, (2018).). Many times, people have to distinguish the objective and subjective features of suicide wherein even if a person commits suicide due to stress, they are objectively wrong, but they cannot be blamed. This goes out to be termed as an excusable serious and devious mistake. Euthanasia, on the other hand, is the process through which a physician administers a drug to a patient which results in unconsciousness then death. Euthanasia has been justified by most Thanatology articles with the basis being drawn on the fact that it helps relieve a sick person from their endless suffering. Opponents to Euthanasia cite the act of murder as they perceive it as a means of containing the cost of healthcare and that it goes against the values and rights of an individual. The argument against euthanasia focus on the respect meted on human dignity through the searching for solutions that contain cost rather than killing the patients (Corr, (2018).). Comment by amanda fox: You will need to work on the flow and organization of your paper. I am having trouble following your thoughts and there is not transition between ideas. Your paper would be improved if you took out the information about suicide, euthanasia, and focus in more detail on the interpretations and coping with dying as you mention in the beginning and end of your paper.
It is of great importance that every individual acknowledges that one day they are going to die. The occurrence of death can never be viewed to be premature as it is key in the process of natural selection and evolution. The ever-changing nature of life and the world always stand by one rule which indicates that the fit species always end up surviving while the moderate and weak species die. In the case that natural selection does not take its course, then it is evident that mutations tend to shape the mortality age pattern (Isaacs, 2015).
As noted in the opening tenet of this paper, many cultures have specific interpretations of death and dying as they tend to connect the two to the prevalent conceptions of one’s soul and body. Due to its psychological grasp on its adherents, religion has over time attached death to a particular event and the condition that follows after. Being aware of one’s mortality pushes most people to believe in a worldview that supports the denial of one’s mortality through the establishment of a façade of eternal life (Larson-Miller, 2016). Believers ascribed to a certain religion tend to be hopeful believing that it is the will of God for one to die thereby indicating the scaffold of spiritual understanding.
Conclusion. Death is an inevitable occurrence in life that remains to be an unraveled mystery. It demands an explanation, but it should not stop anybody from living honestly without any fear of favor. Tackling death involves the making of any financial and legal arrangements while ensuring that one maintains good interpersonal relationships with both their families and friends. Effectively understanding the rituals that accompany death in one’s religion or culture will also help mentally prepare for the occurrence of death and the process of grieving.
References Australia, H. Death and dying. 2016. Corr, C. A., Corr, D. M., & Doka, K. J. Death and Dying. (2018). Isaacs, D. “Death and dying.” Journal of pediatrics and child health (2015): 569-570. Larson-Miller, L. “Death and dying..” The Study of Liturgy and Worship: An Alcuin Guide (2016).
Your paper about death and dying is a great start. You found interesting research, but I had trouble following your paper. You need to work on focusing your ideas and synthesizing your ideas. Many parts of your paper are wordy as well. Try to be more precise and concise with your main points. Please review my comments directly on your paper (attached).
