This pilot research aims to look into how a general education course with a focus on philosophies on meaning and value of life would change students’ attitude towards death and meaning in life. Individual interviews with students taking the course were conducted after they have completed the course, and their attitudes towards death and meaning in life after the course were recorded. It is found that although the course did not significantly change their attitude towards death, it nonetheless reinforced and expanded their previous conceptions of death. More significantly, most students expressed a change in their attitude towards meaning in life, where they expressed an appreciation towards an existentialist explanation of life. This research also showed that many philosophical theories concerning death and meaning in life are applicable to their conceptions of life and death, such as the deprivation account of death, the idea of authentic life by Sartre, and that life is absurd by Camus. Last but not the least, this research exposed some shortcomings in the current curriculum. We propose an approach which focuses on living or life which might be able to help students reflect upon their attitudes towards death, prepare them for a deepened understanding of death, and ultimately relieve their anxiety towards the inevitable eventuality of life.

Authors:
Angel Ting, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
Yvonne Wong, College of International Education, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Yvonne Wong is currently a lecturer of English and English literature at College of International Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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