At the end of 2019, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) transferred from animals to humans in China. COVID-19 spread throughout the world, effecting almost every country on Earth. The global pandemic shut down the world economy, stopped movement of people, and caused the death of thousands of people. The devastation COVID-19 wreaked on the world has been incredibly powerful. In the United States, COVID-19 has caused, at the writing of this paper, over 160,000 deaths and has infected millions of others. At a time in world history like 2020, looking back to the philosophers that have pondered death is helpful and sometimes relieving. The news media coverage of COVID-19 has put death front and center of every television, computer, and cell phone. This paper will explore how humans can accept death at a time of a global pandemic by examining French philosophers Michel de Montaigne and Albert Camus, and the Buddhist and Christian view on death. 

            Let’s begin with exploring Michel de Montaigne’s view of death and how to die well. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) believed that we should constantly be thinking of death, but not fear it. Montaigne says that where death is waiting for us is uncertain. Almost every human does not know when they will die, but in Montaigne’s view of death, the more we think about dying the freer we will be from the fear of death. The disdain and horror of death is quite possibly the greatest virtue of all for humans. In the time of COVID-19, we cannot know when we contract the disease. The bubonic plague killed millions of people, yet some people that contract COVID-19 never come down with symptoms while others die in a matter of days. If we view the devastation of COVID-19 through the philosophy of Montaigne we will constantly be expecting to contract the disease and expect to die from it. We wouldn’t fear contracting it. An argument can be made that there are some in the United States that unknowingly take this approach. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, the United States government urged everyone to wear masks to slow down the spread of the disease. Millions of Americans took to social media to air their grievances of being forced to wear masks. These people either didn’t believe that the pandemic was real, or they were willing to take the risk of contracting the disease and face death head on. It’s highly doubtful that they were intentionally following Montaigne’s philosophy of death, but they were willing to put themselves at risk for the disease for their comfort in the present time. There were others that decided the best decision was to keep themselves safe and wear a mask and other protective equipment, as well as practicing social distancing. These people are trying to dodge death likely out of fear. Furthermore, they likely do not think about death, which is contrary to Montaigne’s view of death. 

            Beyond constantly thinking of death, Montaigne judged how people act when they are dying. He once said, “In the judgement I make of another man’s life, I will always observe how he carried himself at his death; and the principle concern I have for my own is that I may die well­­–that is, patiently and tranquilly.”1 This is the staple of Montaigne’s view on death. First, constantly think about it, and finally, when the time comes, be calm and accept it. It is unclear how many COVID-19 patients die calmly, it is impossible to ever know. But if COVID-19 patients were to follow the teachings of Montaigne they would be able to die with dignity. Death is sad and terrible for the survivors. The purpose of this paper is not to discount the pain and suffering from the family of the dead. The purpose of this paper is a call to help ease the suffering of the dying. Montaigne’s view of death may seem grim to some, but Albert Camus’ view of death is a bit more sinister.

            Albert Camus (1913-1960) was from the French colony of Algeria and lived through World War II. It’s unclear how much WWII had an effect on Camus’, yet his view on life and death was quite grim. Camus believed there was no point in asking, “what is the purpose/meaning of life?” Camus did not believe in God or the gods of other religions. Camus was a staunch atheist, and this heavily influenced his opinion on death. In his novel The Plague, he writes of death very matter of fact manner. The contrast between Camus and Montaigne is apparent when we look at their religious beliefs. As mentioned, Camus was an atheist, but Montaigne was a Catholic. Montaigne’s religious beliefs likely had an influence on his view of death.

            Camus’ matter of fact view on death is likely seen in doctors and nurses that have had to treat the patients of COVID-19 and then died. The news media organizations such as Cable News Network (CNN) have interviewed several doctors and nurses that look exhausted from the long hours treating patients. Most doctors speak of the dead as patients they simply couldn’t save. If the doctors feel emotions, they prevent them from surfacing. This is in direct contrast to the family members of the dead that are interviewed that are crying. The emotions associated with death have brought CNN anchors and interviewers to tears. If Camus were still alive and interviewing the families of the dead, he may not tear up. The doctors understand that death is a part of life and that not every single patient can be saved. Camus’ philosophy on death may be grim but it is important for the doctors and nurses that service the ill. 

            Camus believed that there was no reason to be concerned with thinking about the afterlife. An encyclopedia article concerning Camus from Stanford University states, “Since existence itself has no meaning, we must learn to bear an irresolvable emptiness.”2 This may be hard to accept for most religious people that have believed their entire lives that death means eternal life. When doctors and nurses are fighting to save some from dying from COVID-19, an afterlife is not at the front of their thinking and decision making. Doctors and nurses are not wondering which God their patient will greet upon death. Instead, their thinking is very scientific and concerned only with thinking about how to keep the patient alive. 

            Camus and Montaigne may have very different views of death but they are equally important in certain contexts. Montaigne was a Catholic and his idea was to constantly think about death, and then learn how to die in peace. Camus, an atheist, believed that there was no meaning of life and that it was a silly question to ask. Furthermore, he believed waiting for an afterlife was equally silly. Neither philosophy is correct or incorrect. Rather it is important to apply each philosophy to the correct situation. Whether a grieving wife or an experienced, exhausted doctor, both Camus and Montaigne can comfort the living. 

            A Catholic and an atheist can only teach us about the transition from life to death, but Buddhism can teach us about what happens next. An afterlife is extremely common in almost all world religions. Buddhism is no exception. Buddhism differs from the Abrahamic religions in that Buddhists believe that death means the next cycle of life has begun. This leads Buddhists not to fear and reject death, but rather is accept it calmly. Montaigne would approve of the Buddhist view of death. Alexander-Levitt Funeral Home in Tamarac, Florida assist Buddhists with death services. In their pamphlet about Buddhist death, they state, “For Buddhists death is not the end of life, so it is not something to be feared.”3 This is quote reinforces the notion that Buddhists are likely to accept death as just a natural part of the life cycle. 

Buddhists believe that Karma, the universal law of cause and effect, has a direct influence on death. They are encouraged to live a life true to themselves and to do good unto others. This helps Buddhists to achieve calmness in the face of death. When a Buddhist dies, the surviving family members are reminded of the teachings of the Buddha. The surviving family will usually have the body cremated because that helps to release the spirit of the person. COVID-19 has had devastating effects on the funeral practices of Buddhists. These practices are extremely important to Buddhists. For example, after death, a body is not to be disturbed for three days. This allows for the spirit to peacefully leave the body. During the pandemic this has not been possible. Hospital intensive care units need the hospital bed immediately after a person dies of COVID-19. In her article, What It Means to Pass Away During COVID-19 As a Buddhist,  Hilary Nguyen states, “During the funeral, monks lead the living family of the deceased in a series of chants, where they recite sutras to wish for the deceased’s rebirth into a higher realm.”4 However, COVID-19 has prevented these rituals due to social distancing and limiting crowd sizes. Living family members are not able to do funerals for their loved ones and are not able to come together and pray over the dead.

The death of a Buddhist is supposed to be a time of celebration, but COVID-19 has left many Buddhist families sad. Death in the Buddhist tradition is not the end all be all. As previously mentioned, death is merely a transition of life. COVID-19 has disrupted that cycle because infected corpses must be disposed of properly to contain the spread of the disease. The family cannot pray over the dead, and the body must be disturbed within the three-day period where the spirit leaves the body. Because of these traditions, Buddhists are becoming scared of COVID-19 and dying from it. If their body is not able to be taken care of properly after death, it may interrupt the cycle of life. 

Buddhist transition to the next cycle of life is very dependent on the actions of their living loved ones. Christians on the other hand are more individualistic about the afterlife and of death. For example, in Christianity, if a person accepts Jesus Christ as their savior they will go to heaven after death. A Christian that dies in the ICU from COVID-19 does not need to cared for in the same manner a Buddhist does. Christians still have their funerals similar to the Buddhists, but the rituals are not as important. Death is a heavy subject for most Christians. They do not fear the moment after death, but the act of dying is still scary to most. Christians believe the exact opposite of Camus in that life and death do have meaning. Christians think asking the question, “what is the purpose/meaning of life?” is important. Buddhist have answered this question with Karma. They believe that the purpose of life to live well to enhance reincarnation. Comparatively, Christians have answered this question in a similar way in that they should live to be like Jesus Christ, a compassionate man. 

Albert Camus and Montaigne had differing views on death and an afterlife. Camus believed there is no meaning of life, and therefore, no meaning of death. He was very matter of fact about death. Montaigne believed that thinking about death constantly would help to relieve pain and suffering on the victim of death. Buddhist are very similar in that they think about death often too. This helps the Buddhist to accept death and know that it is merely a transition of the life cycle. Christians believe that the life cycle ends upon entry to heaven, where they will live eternally with God. Christians may fear the act of dying but they know that once the act is complete, they will live forever. Camus’ philosophy works for the people that face death every day, doctors, nurses, firefighters, and police. Montaigne’s philosophy helps the people that know death a part of the natural life cycle and how to deal with it. Overall, it is up to every individual to deal with death in the way that will bring the most comfort and serenity. 

End Notes

1. Mia, “10 Lessons To Learn From Montaigne's Essays,” Youth Time Magazine, October 15, 2015, https://youth-time.eu/10-lessons-to-learn-from-montaigne-s-essays/.

2. Aronson, Ronald. “Albert Camus.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, April 10, 2017. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/camus/.

3. “Customs & Traditions.” Alexander-Levitt Funeral Home. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.alexander-levittfunerals.com/resources/customs-and-traditions.

Bibliography

Aronson, Ronald. “Albert Camus.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, April 10, 2017. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/camus/.

“Customs & Traditions.” Alexander-Levitt Funeral Home. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.alexander-levittfunerals.com/resources/customs-and-traditions.

Mia. “10 Lessons To Learn From Montaigne's Essays.” Youth Time Magazine, October 15, 2015. https://youth-time.eu/10-lessons-to-learn-from-montaigne-s-essays/.