Abstract
Life and death are in an undeniable relationship, and in understanding the partnership between the two, it is important to understand the ways in which living beings react to the tension between the permanence of loss and the continuity of life. In this Independent Study, I will unpack what it means for living beings to be grieving. Donald Gustafson, a philosopher who analyzes rationality, says that grief is “irremediably less than fully rational” (Gustafson 465). In my thesis, I instead argue that grieving, at it’s best, can be a rational and reflective tool to make a fulfilling life for an active agent. To do so, I analyze different understandings of the afterlife across cultures, religions, and philosophies. This is what I argue for: grieving can be a reflective process to make sense of loss for mortal beings, and in turn, can be a rational one.
Advisor
Schiltz, Elizabeth
Department
Philosophy
Recommended Citation
Kay, Alana Rose Madigan, "Applications and Understandings of Grief: A Philosophical Lens" (2025). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 11542.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/11542
Disciplines
Other Philosophy | Sociology of Culture
Publication Date
2025
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2025 Alana Rose Madigan Kay