Ernest Becker was a cultural anthropologist that sought to synthesize research and findings from many different fields of work to create an all-encompassing explanation as to why human society is the way it is—in particular the hostility that erects barricades between different social groups. From this research he composed Denial of Death, his magnum opus which aims to breakdown and tackle the one principle that explains human behavior and culture—our awareness of our vulnerability through our own mortality. Synopsis All living organisms are born with a strong and innate drive to live and to make progress through living; however, every organism’s entire life is already built on the fact of their own mortality—a promise that they will die one day. This presents a …show more content…
The existence of groups different than one person’s essentially invalidates that person’s hero system which they see as a threat to their entire existence. The other group’s beliefs create doubt in that one person’s group’s absolute truth and therefore unleashing the group again to all the mortality anxiety the hero system repressed in the first place. This clash of groups can lead to violence in such case as the crusades in the middle ages. Mental illnesses can be explained through Becker’s ideas as well. Mental illnesses are a bogging down of a person’s hero system. Depression stems from someone’s immortality project failing and therefore they are constantly being reminded of their own mortality—this makes them feel insignificant. Schizophrenia is a step further; it occurs when someone’s immortality project is breaking apart and therefore making it impossible to create enough defense mechanisms against their mortality. Then, the schizophrenic mind has to create their own world where they are more significant and