Originally Posted By: Revlgking
Originally Posted By: Bill S.
...This is supposed to be a science based forum.
Good idea, Bill! Keeping in mind that this is the philosophy and not-quite-science (NQS) section, let's do it--be science-based, but flexible.
In this recent posting I mentioned what some call the soft sciences: theology, pneumatology psychology, sociology, etc.... It seems to me that topics like these are worthy of our attention. Perhaps I should start a thread so we can discuss "death" frankly but with sensitivity. Anyone object?

Bill, in addition, there is another category of science: There are sciences that are UNusual like, for example, thanatology. However, it is defined as the scientific study of death, its cause and the many important phenomena related to the topic.

I presume that it is the phenomena related to thanatology, or at least some of such phenomena, that qualify as a soft--not-quite-science--science.

BTW, has anyone ever come up with a list of how many sciences there really are?
BTW 2. Now that I am an octogenarian I am very interested smile in having all the knowledge I can get about the "science" of thanatology.

FROM WORLD BOOK DICTIONARY
thanatism--the belief that at death the human soul ceases to exist.
thanatophobia--an abnormal fear of death.
thanatopsis--a contemplation of death; meditative viewing--Me? I like having a META-tative viewing--of the end of life.
Thanatos (Greek mythology). From Thanatos we get "euthanasia"(an easy and painless death) Thanatos was death personified as a god. The Romans called him Mors--from which we get mortality.

Watch for the new thread, OK?


G~O~D--Now & ForeverIS:Nature, Nurture & PNEUMA-ture, Thanks to Warren Farr&ME AT www.unitheist.org