Bernard Schumacher

Das Lebensende wird zunehmend Teil eines sterilen Kontrollprozesses, der darauf abzielt, die Gesunden so wenig wie möglich zu stören. Diese Zeit des Sterbens, die man bemüht ist, von der Zeit der Lebenden zu trennen, wird als eine Zeit wahrgenommen, in der es nichts mehr zu leben gibt, eine Zeit ohne jede Hoffnung. Der gute Tod wäre also vergleichbar mit einem Kurzschluss, so plötzlich, dass der Sterbende sich nicht bewusst wäre, dass er stirbt.Ein solcher Tod wurde jedoch von den Alten als zu vermeiden angesehen. Ein „guter Tod” war hingegen an die „Arbeit” des Sterbens geknüpft, jeder in seinem eigenen Tempo, während der Sterbende seine letzten Momente inmitten der Gemeinschaft verbrachte.

Josef Pieper was one of this century's most influential thinkers. A leading Catholic philosopher, he won a wide audience through such books as The Four Cardinal Virtues and About Love. This book is one of few extended studies of Pieper's thought--in particular, of the concept of hope. Pieper was one of the first modern philosophers to explore the idea of hope, and Schumacher discusses his development alongside contributions by Sartre, Jaspers, Marcel, Heidegger, Bloch, and other thinkers. He examines Pieper's treatment of hope as an aspect of individual potential and as an historical force, exploring such themes as dignity, ethics, the good, and the just.

The subject of death and a possible survival has become in recent years a focal point for "scientific" investigations, public interest, and philosophical reflections. Paterson's work finds itself in the midst of this unlikely meeting of these three domains. He does not focus, however, upon the description of the final post mortem state--the domain of pure speculation, to which he dedicates a short chapter--but rather upon the possibility of a life after death which is the presupposition of personal immortality. Such an analysis of death is contrary to the philosophical thanatalogical reverse since Heidegger, which considers death as separated from the question of immortality. On the other hand, Paterson maintains that the belief in a life after death is based not only upon philosophical arguments but also and especially upon empirical facts, which help us in the final analysis to determine whether this state is a utopia without foundation, a possibility, a choice, or even a certitude.

This well-structured and excellently-introduced volume contains ten of Jonas's essays concerning morality and mortality, half of which are newly translated. The book's two parts, respectively characterizing Jonas's philosophical and theological patterns of thought, are preceded by a prologue discussing the state of twentieth-century philosophy and are followed by a talk given six days prior to the author's death and published here for the first time. A sort of testament to his life's work, Jonas challenges his listeners to rethink the notion of human responsibility with regard to creation.