Ernest Becker

File:Ernest Becker (1924-1974).jpg

Ernest Becker (1924-1974)

Ernest Becker (September 27, 1924 – March 6, 1974) was an American cultural anthropologist and writer known for his work in the fields of psychology, philosophy, and anthropology. He is best known for his 1974 book The Denial of Death, which won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction.

Biography

Ernest Becker was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and grew up in a Jewish family. He served in the United States Army during World War II, after which he attended Syracuse University, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. He later obtained a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from Simon Fraser University.

Career

Becker's career was marked by his interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from psychology, philosophy, and anthropology. He taught at several universities, including Simon Fraser University, where he was a professor of anthropology.

The Denial of Death

The Denial of Death is Becker's most famous work, in which he explores the concept of death anxiety and its role in human behavior. Becker argues that much of human activity is driven by an unconscious fear of death, and that cultural systems, such as religion and heroism, are constructed to manage this fear.

Legacy

Becker's work has had a significant impact on the fields of psychology, philosophy, and cultural studies. His ideas have influenced the development of terror management theory, which explores how humans cope with the awareness of their own mortality.

See also

• Terror management theory
• Cultural anthropology
• Psychology of religion

References

• Becker, Ernest. The Denial of Death. New York: Free Press, 1973.
• Becker, Ernest. Escape from Evil. New York: Free Press, 1975.

External links

• Ernest Becker Foundation