Death & disposition

Death poems and disposition after death often reveal the writer or speaker more than any other writing or saying. Sometimes these words are too polished to be o...

Hermit vs. recluse

How to distinguish between the genuine hermit and the mere recluse? “Mere” in the sense that reclusion is not necessarily eremitism and is only moti...

Bentham’s calculus

The utilitarian thinker Jeremy Bentham proposed a “hedonic calculus” to synthesize or rationalize the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. His...

Metaphors

Whether we think of life as rehearsal for death or as a trajectory towards death, we are using metaphors because we cannot grasp meaning without having useful f...