The Denial of Death

The Denial of Death
Cover of the first edition
AuthorErnest Becker
LanguageEnglish
SubjectDeath
PublisherFree Press
Publication date
December 31, 1973
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages336
ISBN9780684832401

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.[1] The author argues most human action is taken to ignore or avoid the inevitability of death.[2]

It was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1974, two months after the author's death.[3] It is the main work responsible for the development of terror management theory, which provides empirical support for Becker's ideas.

  1. ^ Becker, Ernest (1973). The Denial of Death. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-83240-2.
  2. ^ "Terror Management Theory – Ernest Becker Foundation". ernestbecker.org. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  3. ^ "The 1974 Pulitzer Prize Winner in General Nonfiction". The Pulitzer Prizes. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2020.