Imagining the End: Mourning and Ethical Life

University of Chicago philosophy professor Lear (Therapeutic Action) offers provocative reflections on flourishing in the face of existential and civilizational challenges. Drawing on psychoanalysis, American history, and ancient Greek philosophy, the author strings together loosely related musings that grapple with the finitude of life and culture. He contends that passing down tradition through generations constitutes a form of mourning because it keeps alive the ideas and concerns of the dead, and he posits that Meghan Markle’s decision to leave the royal family indicated her dissatisfaction with the dearth of choices afforded by the royal lineage. In a highly original chapter, Lear considers the ethical legacy of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address and suggests that not having mourned the Confederate dead left postwar reconciliation unfinished. He writes that while the Lost Cause “keeps one stuck,” mourning “is for the sake of bidding adieu and returning to life.” Jargon sometimes obscures Lear’s subtle reasoning, particularly in his exploration of Freud’s views on transience, but those who stick with this will be rewarded. Elegiac if a touch abstruse, this will most benefit scholars. (Nov.)