THE EXPERIENCE OF DEATH AND DYING

APPROACHES BETWEEN SOCIOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY, AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF HEALTH

Abstract

Reflections on death are commonly associated with an antagonism between life and death, as well as with isolated understandings of different fields. This article aims to consider the social phenomenon of death from the perspective of the Philosophy of Health. To reflect on the sociological aspects of death, we reference Norbert Elias' work The Loneliness of the Dying, followed by Aging and Dying, which highlights the institutionalization of death and its consequences for perceiving it as part of life. To support the philosophical reflection, we base our discussion on Friedrich Nietzsche's Ecce Homo, in which the philosopher reinterprets himself, reflecting on how he coped with his illness and took charge of his healing, allowing us to think of health, illness, and death as parts of life. Considering the vast and multidisciplinary scope of death and dying as a subject of investigation, Sociology and Philosophy each contribute with their specificities to understanding this process and can pave the way for a Philosophy of Health. This approach, when applied to health sciences and professional practices, presupposes transdisciplinarity.