Aries, Philippe (1981) The Hour of Our Death. London: Allen Lane (preface/conclusion)

 

Hypothesis, proposed previously by Edgar Morin, ‘there was a relationship between man’s attitude towards death and his awareness of self, of his degree of existence, or simply of his individuality’ (Aries, 1981: 602).

Four psychological themes: awareness of the individual / defense of society against untamed nature / belief in an afterlife / belief in the existence of evil (Aries, 1981: 603)

Five models: the tame death / the death of the self / remote and imminent death / the death of the other / the invisible death (Aries, 1981: 603)

In the tame death the dead sleep. Death is evil.

In the death of the self the dead are active individuals. Biography continued after death. ‘This new eschatology caused the word death to be be replaced by trite circumlocutions such as “he gave up the ghost” or “God has his soul.” (Aries, 1981: 606). This model differs from the previous in respect to 2 themes – awareness of the individual; belief in the afterlife. Body becomes concealed.

In remote and imminent death (late 1500s…1700s?..the Enlightenment..) the savagery of death returns – the fear of being buried alive. Change of 1 theme – defense of society against untamed nature.

In the death of the other romanticism, following industrialisation and agricultural developments, led to passions without limits or reason. All 4 themes were transformed. Family replaced community/individuality, and privacy (a particular relation with select others) became important. Death was now neither tame nor wild. ‘The compromise of beauty was the last obstacle invented to channel an immoderate emotion that had swept away the old barriers’ (Aries, 1981: 610). Death ceased to be associated with evil. Evil and nature changed places. The afterlife theme changed – hell went, heaven became a reunion. For the non-religious, the reunion was in dreams, the strength in memory.

In the invisible death the themes continue, though the effect seems opposite. Privacy has become more demanding. The intimacy of final exchanges lost to the lie, the denial. Medical technology has defeated untamed nature, so the community no longer feels responsible for looking after its members’ deaths. Solidarity and collectivity has gone. We are now more ashamed than afraid of death. This comes with the decline of evil. Now – defeat (silence or indifference/normalisation). The horrors of the hospital mean death is no longer tame. ‘The belief in evil was necessary to the taming of death; the disappearance of the belief has restored death to its savage state’ (Aries, 1981: 614).