Spiritual dimension of palliative care: Dialog with existential thought of Heidegger and Levinas

The article discusses the inclusion of existential thought into the existing studies and practice in the field of spirituality in palliative care, namely Heidegger's analysis of existence and Levinas' ethical philosophy. Existential thought of the two philosophers makes possible an understanding of man that differs from the naturalistic approach of the positive sciences. No longer is the patient as a subject of care at the forefront but his life in its existential integrality. It is impossible to come to such an understanding through biology nor can one subject it to empirical objectivization, for we are dealing with originality of living experience, wherein Heidegger and Levinas help us analyze the fundamental phenomena of man, such as death, anxiety, fellow man, care, guilt, conscience, responsibility and closeness. On the basis of analysis of these phenomena we try to deepen our understanding of the fundamental categories that appear in the existing studies as operative concepts for descritpion of spirituality in palliative care.