The Dead Body in the History of Emotions

In the 20th century, the history of emotions related to the body—in this case, the dysphoric body (sick, dying or dead)—has been the stage for two major anthropological shifts. Firstly, an increase in the abhorrence for its material nature, accelerating since mid-century—too late for Norbert Elias to fully gauge its importance. Secondly, a response to this structural dynamic, starting in the 1960s within alternative cultures, but actually gone mainstream thirty years later. Efforts to reconcile these contradictory trends have led to original makeshift solutions at societal level, which continue to mark our daily lives today.