Download or read book Death and the Disinterested Spectator written by Ann Hartle and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1986-10-15 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Death and the Disinterested Spectator examines the nature of philosophy in light of philosophy's claim to be a preparation for death. Does philosophy have any real power, or is it merely idle talk? The background against which this question is explored is a re-interpretation of Plato's Phaedo, Augustine's Confessions, and Descartes' Discourse on Method.