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Necessary illusions: life, death and the construction of meaning
This paper introduces the work of the late cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker. Becker argued that the cause of human suffering is directly related to the strategies people use to cope with their mortality awareness. By concentrating on his last two books, The Denial of Death (1973) and Escape from Evil (1975), the aim of this paper is to provide an overview of Becker’s mature theory to show how his work on destructiveness is necessary for developing a socially engaged social theory. Whilst his theory on the human condition explores some of the darkest aspects of human existence, by examining why people are capable of extreme forms of cruelty Becker directly encouraged an honest dialogue concerning our existential predicament. This paper highlights the necessity of Becker’s theory of evil for opening up new possibilities for living in a more humane world.
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Publication status
- Published
Journal
Oñati Socio-Legal SeriesISSN
2079-5971Publisher
Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law - Instituto Internacional de Sociología Jurídica de OñatiIssue
3Volume
5Page range
850-861Department affiliated with
- Sociology and Criminology Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2015-09-01Usage metrics
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