He is notable, together with Jeff Greenberg and Sheldon Solomon, for founding the field of Terror Management Theory (TMT).
TMT is a theory that is based on the writings of Ernest Becker, along with other existential thinkers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Otto Rank, and Heidegger.
At the heart of TMT is the notion that human beings have a unique capacity for self-awareness, which makes them realize that death is inevitable.
This realization, which conflicts with people's instinctive need for self-preservation, gives rise to a potential for existential anxiety, or terror, that is greater than that in other animals.
Thus, TMT suggests that one major psychological function of self-esteem lies in protecting people against existential anxiety.