‘Not afraid of death’: China professor comforts students with philosophical approach despite advanced cancer
- Students hail tutor’s honesty, bravery, people travel from afar to lectures
A cancer-stricken philosophy professor at a university in China is using his own life as an example to teach students lessons about illness and death.
Zhu Rui, professor at prestigious Renmin University, has insisted on teaching his spring-term class while suffering from late-stage colorectal cancer.
The 56-year-old researcher in neuro-philosophy appeared at the first lesson of his course titled Art and Brain, holding a trekking pole and wearing a woollen hat and gloves to cover up the side effects of chemotherapy.
He told the students that he was a late-stage cancer patient who was receiving the treatment and that he needed to take a lot of pain relief medication to be able to attend the class.
“Illness is not something we worry about, but something we cope with,” Zhu said. “Do not feel sad, even if I collapse in the classroom one day, because a philosopher is not afraid of death.”
His honesty and open-mindedness about his illness stunned many students. After his story was widely reported by the mainland media, people would travel from other cities to listen to his lessons.
