The Denial of Death (1973) by Ernest Becker explores the human fear of death and how rituals and beliefs have helped individuals cope with it throughout history. Drawing on Freudian psychoanalysis and modern philosophy, Becker argues that the fear of death drives much of human activity. As children become aware of their mortality, they develop subconscious coping mechanisms, including beliefs, ambitions, and mental illnesses. Becker discusses how cultures traditionally provided ways to transcend death through heroism, often via religion, but with the decline of Christianity in the modern era, people struggle to find a new belief system to fulfill these needs.
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