death as part of life and to make the process of dying as bearable as possible. Central to this conflict is the development of scientific medicine and the decline of religious discourses and associated morals. Many Anglo-Saxon countries are also characterised by moral and religious pluralism, which gives rise to controversies over bioethical issues such as euthanasia. Modern medicine seems to have prioritised the treatment of the body over the care of people. Some scholars attribute this to the metaphysical heritage of the
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dualism and reductionism. At the same time, knowledge about nature and society is growing at such a rapid pace that it is even more difficult to develop a unified secular worldview. When the dying self contemplates its own disintegration in this context, the search for meaning can be really hard. This book is for palliative care practitioners and all healthcare professionals interested in end of life care. It is also for students of palliative care and medical history and anyone interested in the history of this intriguing field.