Aesthetics in Grief and Mourning - Philosophical Reflections on Coping With Loss

"A philosophical exploration of the value of aesthetics in loss and grieving. Loss and grief are destabilizing forces. As a bereaved person grapples with the reality that their loved one is gone and feels only shakily connected to the surrounding world, the tangibility of sensory objects can be grounding. In Aesthetics of Grief and Mourning, philosopher Kathleen Marie Higgins highlights the role of aesthetics in the grieving process, offering a guide for how being attuned to aesthetics can aid those experiencing loss. While some activities associated with loss-such as participation in funerals-are culturally scripted, many others are relatively everyday, including attending to sensory objects, telling stories, reflecting on artworks, experiencing music, and engaging in creative projects. Higgins shows how attending to these aesthetic practices helps those who have experienced loss, and she also sheds light on the importance of aesthetic engagement with the world for individual and community flourishing"--

About the author

Kathleen Marie Higgins is professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of several books including The Music between Us: Is Music a Universal Language?, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

Product details

• Authors: Kathleen Marie Higgins, Higgins Kathleen Marie
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.03.2024
• EAN: 9780226831046
• ISBN: 978-0-226-83104-6
• No. of pages: 256
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: general, reference works; PHILOSOPHY / Social, PHILOSOPHY / Political, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Death & Dying, PHILOSOPHY / Aesthetics, Social & political philosophy, social and political philosophy, Philosophy: aesthetics, Sociology: death and dying, Sociology: Death & Dying, aesthetics;philosophy;grief;mourning;bereavement;art