In late modernity, the question of death has become more transparent. Modern consciousness either procrastinates on this question or takes death to signal the end of the self. The revival of death consciousness opens up a new field of investigation into the meaning of the modern self. When contrasted with premodern notions of death, the modern self facing death is seen to be isolated, distant, and struggling to preserve its autonomy. Death in modernity is a mirror for reflecting the precariousness of the self.
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