History of Suicide: Voluntary Death in Western Culture (Medicine and Culture) (Hardcover)

by Mr. Georges Minois (Author), Ms. Lydia G. Cochrane (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Suicide, or "self murder," was viewed as an honorable death in ancient times. By the high Middle Ages, however, the corpses of suicides were mutilated and buried in unconsecrated grounds. Now, of course, terms like Kevorkian (sometimes used as a verb!) and assisted death have become part of an ongoing national debate. Minois, the author of numerous books on religious attitudes and relations with secular society, has provided a timely chronicle tracing the evolution of societal attitudes toward suicide. He utilizes such diverse sources as St. Augustine, Shakespeare, and Camus. Minois writes in an unadorned, concise prose that aids him in treating a serious subject in a serious manner. Although his own convictions on the issue are clear, Minois treats both sides of our current debate with objectivity, understanding, and compassion. Jay Freeman

From Kirkus Reviews
Minois's book follows the religious, philosophical, literary, and judicial debate for and against self-murder from antiquity to the end of the Enlightenment, demonstrating the close connection between political power, religious authority, social s tatus, and the freedom to die. Minois, an independent scholar and author of 14 books, begins with the change in public attitudes toward suicide in Rome, in the face of military exigencies and a barbarian onslaught. The Epicurean ideal of the ``perfect exi t'' was rejected by a state desperate to increase the number of taxpayers and soldiers at its disposal. Suicide was punished by confiscation of the deceased's estate and destruction of the corpse. After the rise of Christendom, church leaders incorporated prohibitions on suicide into religious doctrine, in part through the philosophical translation of Thomas Aquinas. Medieval law followed suit, prescribing torture, hanging, public display, and ignominious disposal of the corpses of suicides. Not until the advent of scientific inquiry in the Renaissance were these rules challenged, but by then there was a double standard: commoners who hanged or drowned themselves were punished, while nobles who took their own lives with cold steel or pistols escaped ``jus tice'' through insanity rulings and purposely botched investigations. Most interesting is the link between power and suicide; whenever the political and religious establishment experienced weakening authority, official opposition to suicide increased. The Reformation, Enlightenment, and French Revolution all saw intensified propaganda against self-murder. The conclusion is clear, as is Minois's sympathy: suicide is the last refuge of the free man. Death, after all, is not only a land of no return, it is t he line delimiting the power of state and church. Minois's study is detailed and thorough, though he rarely leaves France and England for examples. It may be too thorough for the casual reader, but gory anecdotes and effective reference to overarching int ellectual trends make the book edifying and morbidly enjoyable. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 2nd printing edition (December 18, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801859190
• ISBN-13: 978-0801859199
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #954,585 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable Study Of Suicide - So Long As one Can Face It, March 29, 2006

By	Katherine Graham "Katherine Graham" (Sparta, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: History of Suicide: Voluntary Death in Western Culture (Medicine and Culture) (Paperback)

I read this book in one sitting. A scholarly work but no matter. The book will stand as one of the most important works ever published on the subject. Nothing is left out. And I could only guess but most will never be the same again...just to realize the vast scope of despair that has affected the human condition for centuries along with the differing cultural and religious viewpoints on the subject. Not a book for the faint at heart. But a book that provides the other side of what many believe (still) is an assumption that to live - is all there is. The meaning of life itself is the issue and this book tackles the subject as no one else had done for decades.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History of Suicide: Voluntary Death in Western Culture, January 24, 2000

By	Proença, Mário R.P. (Ponta Delgada, S. Miguel - Azores Portugal) - See all my reviews

This book is a reference for those interested in studying Suicide and suicidal behavior. When studying a subject like this, everyone should start with the basics, i.e. historical reviews and perspectives of the phenomena. After reading this very well written book the reader will surely become more familiar with some of the basic thoughts pertaining suicide and its cultural, historical, and some light scientific perspectives of the suicidal phenomena. Everyone should read it, even for cultural enrichment. [e-mail]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Origen of the taboo in western society on voluntary death. , May 4, 2008

By	T. M. Tieleman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: History of Suicide: Voluntary Death in Western Culture (Medicine and Culture) (Paperback)

To form your own opinion on a subject, particularly if it is controvesal, it it wise to study the origin of the standpoint in question. . Arguments against voluntary death like : "Life is a gift of God, you should respect and leave it to him to end it" look good at first sight. But then you remember that the church used the same argument against birth control. In this matter almost everybody in the western world has accepted that the size of your familiy is your own responsability.
The book 'History of suicide " shows that the taboo against voluntary death is heavily influenced by the wish of the Roman empire and the early christian church to try and stop the decline in population. The economy in that period was very dependent on slaves and serves. A quotation: "The Council of Arles in 452 condemned the suicide of all famuli ( slaves and domestic servants). the servant who kills himself robs his master and his owner. His suicide is an act of revolt".
The book of Mr Minois gives plenty arguments for the statement that a responsable and free human being may find it justified to end his life. The God of the christans wants us to be" ïn his image ", responsable people. Responsable for the beginning and the end of life.