The Necessity of Mortality: A Biological and Philosophical View

By Wahengbam Niraj Singh

The inevitability of human death is perceived as a tragedy, but it serves a fundamental role

in the grand scheme of life. From a biological viewpoint, mortality is necessary for evolution. 

Generational turnover helps genetic variation and natural selection operate by ensuring 

species adaptability in changing environments. If individuals were unable to die, there will 

be stagnation hindering genetic diversity and adaptation. Cells also have intrinsic limits, as 

seen in programmed cell death like apoptosis, which prevents uncontrolled growth and 

maintains biological homeostasis. Without such death, there will be accumulation of genetic 

errors which would undermine the biological function with time, leading to a decline in 

overall health and adaptability.

Philosophers have long reasoned that death is not an enemy but rather it is the only true 

freedom in life. Thinkers like Arthur Schopenhauer saw life as a miserable burden like an endless torment from which only nonexistence offers relief. Philipp Mainlander went further arguing that existence itself is a mistake and even the universe is in a slow process of self-

annihilation. David Benatar’s antinatalism suggests that coming into life is itself a harm, 

making death an unavoidable mercy. On another hand, Friedrich Nietzsche while 

acknowledging the struggles of life, saw human limitation as the catalyst for achieving 

greatness. Some others like Emil Cioran and Peter Wessel Zapffe even mocked the absurdity 

of consciousness, lamenting that humanity was cursed with self-awareness due to an

evolutionary blunder and humans suppress their despair through distraction, but in the end, 

there is no escape.

Additionally, resources require the death of many. Earth's limited resources will not be able to

support an immortal population indefinitely. Natural lifecycles ensure equitable access to 

necessities like food, water, and space. Ecosystems rely on this balance because the death of 

one organism sustains another, maintaining ecological stability.

In another perspective death is a transition rather than an end. Many spiritual and 

philosophical traditions view it as a way of integrating an individual into a greater cycle of 

existence. While the fear of death is natural its necessity cannot be ignored. So rather than resisting death, embracing and acknowledging it can lead to a more meaningful and purpose-driven existence.

By Wahengbam Niraj Singh