Introduction to Birth and Death

Week 1 is a half-week introduction to the course.

How does Mary Oliver’s poem make you feel about your own mortality? Before we dive into the ancient texts and philosophical frameworks, we begin with the question of limits—not as constraints, but as the very conditions that give life meaning.

Atul Gawande’s work reminds us that what matters at the end is not what we feared. Birth and death are not merely events that happen to us; they are boundaries that shape everything in between.

Why do birth and death function as boundaries rather than merely events? Is “acceptance” a moral achievement, a philosophical posture, or a privilege?