A Death of One’s Own by Terry Eagleton review – meditations on arriving at a full stop

The notion that death is an inevitable and universal human experience has been a recurring theme in literature for centuries. Philosophers, writers, and thinkers across various disciplines have grappled with the complexities of mortality. In contrast, software development tends to avoid confronting its own mortality – the ultimate fate of even the most robust codebases: decay, abandonment, and eventual extinction.

Terry Eagleton’s recent book review highlights the universal human experience of death. While it may seem far-fetched to draw parallels between literary critiques on mortality and software development, there are eerie similarities between the two fields. Both deal with impermanence and obsolescence.

Eagleton’s critique of Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” is particularly relevant. The poet’s words urging his father to resist death can be seen as a reflection of our collective desire to defy the forces of obsolescence that affect all human endeavors – including software development.

The pace of technological progress accelerates rapidly, yet few developers and organizations consider the long-term sustainability of their creations. Codebases are often measured in months or years, not decades or centuries like ancient manuscripts waiting to be deciphered. This fleeting nature of software development has significant implications for our understanding of progress, innovation, and legacy.

Eagleton’s own 60-year academic career serves as a poignant reminder that even accomplished thinkers are not immune to the ravages of time. His grappling with mortality in his writing is both personal and philosophical, reflecting on how death “lacks a sense of occasion.” This phrase resonates deeply when applied to software development, where we often focus on short-term goals without considering the eventual fate of our creations.

Literary critics examine how authors navigate mortality in their work. Similarly, developers should reflect on the impermanence of codebases and the importance of building for long-term sustainability. This requires a fundamental shift in mindset, acknowledging that even elegant solutions will one day become relics of a bygone era.

The quiet crisis in software development is not solely about code decay or technical debt; it’s also our collective failure to acknowledge the transience of all human endeavors. By confronting this reality head-on, we can begin to build more resilient systems that account for the passage of time and the inevitability of obsolescence.

As the software landscape continues to evolve at an exponential rate, we would do well to learn from literary critiques on mortality. By doing so, we may find ourselves better equipped to confront the ultimate challenge in our field: creating codebases that not only resist decay but also contribute meaningfully to human innovation.

Eagleton’s critique of Thomas’s poem serves as a powerful metaphor for our own relationship with software development. We must confront the reality of obsolescence and mortality, not with denial or despair, but with purpose and responsibility – ensuring that our creations leave behind a lasting impact on the world, even as we surrender to time itself.

The future of software development demands that we reexamine our priorities, values, and goals. By embracing the impermanence of codebases and acknowledging the universal experience of mortality, we may just create something truly remarkable: software that not only survives but thrives in an ever-changing world.