A Study on the Restructuring of the Concept of Death Education

ABSTRACT

[Objective] The purpose of this study is to restructure the concept of death education in order to prove the educational validity of death education. This attempt will be a foundation for expanding the horizon of death education by establishing the educational status of death education as the basis for setting the scope and direction of death education. [Contents] Humans with finiteness cannot shake the anxiety and fear of their non-existence. Death education requires knowing about death. It causes anxiety when death remains unknown. Furthermore, beyond simply knowledge, awareness and enlightenment of finiteness lead to life's fidelity and accountability. Human life is also a series of loss. The inexorable nature of death and the loss of a meaningful other are issues that cause intense emotions. Therefore, it is essential to cultivate rational emotions in which our perceptions are actively involved. In addition, death education needs to clarify the value of life. Discussions on many decisions and issues about death, a sense of respect for life, and the ethics of human respect are linked to ethical education discussions. [Conclusions] If the discussion of death discourse starts with the fundamental purpose of education that is fostering humans with abundant humanity and mental and moral maturity while preserving human dignity and values, death will be recognized as an essential intrinsic regulation of life and seen as an opportunity for growth in the last stage of human development.