Philosophy & Ideas

Learning to Die

What Philosophy Can Teach Us About Mortality — and Why We Need It More Than Ever

Thomas Nagel

Philosopher at NYU, specializing in ethics, philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of death. He is the author of "Mortal Questions" and "The View from Nowhere."

March 6, 2026·8 min read

Learning to Die

Modern medicine has extended life expectancy dramatically, but it has not made us better at dying. The ancient philosophical traditions that taught people how to face death have been largely abandoned, leaving many people unprepared for the most certain event of their lives. A new generation of philosophers is recovering these traditions for the modern world.

TOPICS

deathphilosophyStoicismmortalityexistentialism

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