We are all born, and we are all going to die. My dissertation aims at reconciling these oppositions by tracing the relation between natality and mortality. My hypothesis is that taking into account the features of our existence constituted by being born can reshape our perception of personal mortality and equip us with helpful strategies for dealing with the fear and anxieties caused by death.
In order to tackle this hypothesis, I work on defining the natal features of human existence through excavating the discussion in contemporary feminist philosophy and bringing it into the context of philosophy of existence. In doing so, I aim at explicitly distinguishing the scope of various relationships with the Mother, portraying the Mother’s figure accordingly, and acknowledging trans* and male representations of the Mother’s figure. Moreover, I complement the views on natal gender difference by addressing intersexuality. Finally, I implement this widened concept of natality in reconsidering the strategies of coping with mortality.