If we consider the dead to be humans, either former humans or humans in a different plane of existence, what does that mean for our interactions with the dead? In this paper, I will explore ethical interactions with the dead in various spaces, including ghost hunting and ghost tourism.
Paper long abstract
If we consider the dead to be humans, either former humans or humans in a different plane of existence, what does that mean for our interactions with the dead? Do we use the same ethics that we would use with humans or do we need a different ethical framework? Regardless of our beliefs in the supernatural, thinking about ethics and the dead (and non-human or other forms) is an interesting ethical practice that we can use in our own research and in teaching. In this presentation, I will explore ethical interactions with the dead in various spaces, including ghost hunting and ghost tourism. In many environments in North America and Europe, the dead are often still subjected to stereotypes and thoughtless interactions, even though they often represent complex social issues and histories. How, instead, can we address these issues via ghosts and other non-human entities? Can we have deeper, more complex, conversations about ghosts than living people? And, if we do believe them to be sentient, how can create ethical interactions both between us and the dead and about the dead?