Projects per year
Abstract
The paper argues that grave re-use cannot be ethically evaluated simply by adverting to cognate issues, such as archeological and medical ethics, since grave re-use comprises a very specific type of disturbance. Whilst there is no general ethical prohibition against disturbing the dead, a more detailed analysis is required in the case of English Victorian ‘perpetuity graves’. It is argued that, even granted that posthumous harms exist, on a proper understanding of what motivated purchase of perpetuity graves their re-use does not constitute a prohibitive posthumous harm. Objections to grave re-use on the grounds of the wellbeing of the living are then considered. Repugnance towards grave re-use is grounded in solicitous attitudes towards the dead and ontological anxiety about the fate of our own and our loved one’s bodies. Nonetheless, repugnance should not be a weighty consideration in the policy debate. Finally, major pragmatic considerations in favour of grave re-use are reiterated. In sum, arguments against grave re-use are weak, and pragmatic arguments for grave re-use are strong, so re-using graves is ethically permissible.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-14 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Mortality |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 7 Jun 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Bibliographical note
© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an author-produced version of a paper accepted for publication. Uploaded with permission of the publisher/copyright holder. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.Profiles
Projects
- 1 Finished
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Developing the Death Studies Network
Rugg, J. J. (Principal investigator), Beale, G. (Principal investigator), Roe, J. (Principal investigator), Penfold-Mounce, R. A. (Principal investigator), Denham, J. (Principal investigator) & Poore, B. (Principal investigator)
1/08/14 → 31/08/15
Project: Research project (funded) › Internal pump-priming