Death, The Incompetent Timekeeper: Examining the Views Surrounding Death within Religious and Secular Existentialism

This paper examines views concerning the nature and role of death within existentialism. Drawing from authors such as Kaufmann, Heidegger and Kierkegaard, among others, the paper delves into the history and dialogue surrounding death. The paper also focuses on the secular and religious viewpoints, more specifically those shared by Christian existentialists, in order to better understand the nature and role of death within the existential philosophy. Given the problem that it poses to both (the religious and the secular), Death’s role is likened to that of an incompetent timekeeper, shifting the focus towards how both the secular and religious existentialists achieve authenticity in spite of its influence. The answer is found in examining both the epicurean and the platonic views of the soul, the former being more secular in nature than the latter. The paper presents the viewpoint that timeliness created by death is the ultimate decider of human authenticity