The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Religion, Spirituality, and the Practice of Medicine

“…10 Anthropologists often refer to explanatory models (EMs) as ways in which a patient collectively appraises all these factors to interpret and understand their health and illness. 11 Although there is a rich tradition of incorporating religious and spiritual perspectives into patient EMs, particularly when suffering is involved, 12 physician narratives are becoming more remarkable in a language and orientation that touches on the religious and spiritual. 13 For example, a prominent AIDS and cancer researcher has authored a best-selling collection of stories with the subtitle, "a spiritual exploration of illness."…”

Humane Killing and the Ethics of the Secular: Regulating the Death Penalty, Euthanasia, and Animal Slaughter

“…In fact, Weber himself contemplated the question regarding the crisis of dying in the modern world. 118 Discussing Tolstoy's Ivan Ilych, 119 broodings increasingly revolved around the problem of whether or not death is a meaningful phenomenon. And his answer was: for civilized man death has no meaning."…”

Doctors and others: reflections on the first Francis Report

“…We believe that this should be encouraged. Two hours spent reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich 21 or the remarkable combination of drawing, poetry and narrative in Three-three, two-two, five-six 22 (to select one classic and one contemporary example) would offer more to kind healthcare and the issues raised by the Francis Inquiry than any amount of finger wagging or yet another protocol or regulatory rule.…”