MISSION
Established in 1993, and running for 30 years through to 2023, the Ernest Becker Foundation advanced the understanding of the role of death denial in everyday life, so that we may live together more peacefully. Ernest Becker laid the foundation for this work in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Denial of Death.
WHAT DID THE ERNEST BECKER FOUNDATION DO?
Raised awareness among leaders, policy makers and the general public concerning the effects of our denial and fear of death on individual and societal behavior.
Through public education, outreach and partnerships we offered Becker’s understanding of human motivation as a catalyst for self-awareness and social change to foster a healthier and more peaceful world.
Served as the central hub and resource for people worldwide interested in Ernest Becker’s work.
This included teachers and academics across disciplines, end-of-life caregivers, “death positive” groups working to challenge our culture’s systemic denial of death, social change agents critical of the effects of destructive heroism, and all people influenced by Becker’s writings.
Supported projects to advance the practical and academic legacies of Becker’s work.
Examples include the award-winning film Flight From Death, research on Terror Management Theory, publication of The Ernest Becker Reader, and partnership with Saybrook University to encourage Becker scholarship.