Making Sense of the Fear of Death

We all accept that death is unavoidable; we all die. However, there are numerous debates on what death actually is. I feel it important to first discuss what we believe death to be before we question whether it is rational to fear it. I mean, how can we fear something without knowing what we fear. If I propose the idea that death is the separation of our bodies and spirits and we never spiritually die but we can live on in heaven or hell; then I would suggest it is rational to fear death. This is rational as there could be a high chance I end up in hell. Then again, is death the mere ceasing to exist? For many ceasing to exist evokes much fear but I feel this proposal is faulted. Can I really fear something that I wont experience. I wont be experiencing any pain or suffering, then again I too wont be experience any pleasure. So, is that the issue? By me ceasing to exist will I be deprived of good or being deprived of all this things I could still experience if I were still alive?

My main issue is the use of the word fear in such context. It seems illogical to pose that one can fear death as it would suggest we knew exactly what death was and that we knew that death was a bad thing. Since we have neither answer to any of these questions it seems irrational to fear death. Undoubtedly death evokes some form of an emotional response but is it really fear that we feel. It seems that we all have a fear of the unknown and the fact death is the ultimate unknown could be why we fear it? So in that respect one could suggest that fear was justified. I aim to question what we actually fear about death as well as discuss whether it is logical that we do so. In doing so I hope to provide a more suitable and rational way we could react to dea...

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...st ceasing to exist. I must be mindful, however, that some fear the idea of ceasing to exist as this therefore suggest an absence of good. Not only is it an absence of good or the idea that when we die we are missing out and that we are just sad that we can no longer live? If death is merely deprivation can we fear that or can we just feel anger and resentment.

If we are to take the life after death approach which suggest there is a possibility of there being an afterlife, fear of death is rational. The uncertainty that death creates in the cases of dying too early or the process of death, can arouse a sense of fear yet these to me seem the only instances in which it is rational to fear death. The idea of fearing something such as not existing seems irrational but stead we could replace fear with emotion’s such a sorrow and sadness, which are far more appropriate.