Birth and Death in Modernity: A Philosophical Primer for Christians

Every human life begins with birth and passes through death. Philosophers since ancient times have been preoccupied with the latter event as life’s peculiar problem: Should we fear it? Why do we all seem to? How does death affect the way we live?

More recently, a host of ethical challenges have emerged which centre on the two bookends of human life: issues like abortion, euthanasia, cloning, various assisted reproductive technologies, and medically declared death. These are not just intellectual puzzles, but issues which touch personally on many of our lives.

This course will focus on readings from two works of twentieth century philosophy by the moral theologian Oliver O’Donovan and the cultural critic Ivan Illich. We will set these works against the background of more traditional questions about the meaning of birth and death for human life, and consider how a refreshed understanding of these bookends can help us respond to the challenges raised by modern medical technologies.

This course can be taken as a standalone, but some prior experience of philosophy from modules 1, 2 or 3 will be helpful.

Host or Publisher Emmanuel College Sydney