The Denial of Death
Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Ernest Becker |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Death, Heroism |
| Publisher | Free Press |
Publication date | December 31, 1973 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 336 |
| ISBN | 9780684832401 |
The Denial of Death is a 1973 book by American cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker which discusses the psychological and philosophical implications of how people and cultures have reacted to the concept of death. The author argues most human action is taken to ignore or avoid the inevitability of death.
It was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1974, two months after the author's death. It is the main work responsible for the development of terror management theory, which provides empirical support for Becker's ideas.