Resource Tag: HISTORICAL SUICIDES

This article discusses the impact of writers Thomas Chatterton, who completed suicide in the late-eighteenth century, & Reverend Herbert Croft, an Anglican priest & man-of-letters, on the literary & political career of Robert Southey.

Xenophon contends that Socrates sought death, availing himself of his indictment to make a desirable end of life. Plato’s dialogues do not permit outright rejection of Xenophon’s claims. To avoid conceptual infirmity the question thus raised should not be put in terms of an allegation of “suicide.” One should read the first tetralogy dialogues as […]

The author responds to an article entitled “Did Socrates Commit Suicide?” by R. G. Frey. He argues that Frey fails to show Socrates killed himself intentionally and raises questions about the nature of Socrates’ intentions. He also highlights the issues of intent and desired ends in classifying death as suicide.

The author deploys the interpretation that Kant’s moral philosophy was often a response to classical moral thought in order to examine his views on suicide in the “Doctrine of Virtue.”

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Most critics would agree Cleopatra suppresses her efforts to survive while arguing about when she fully commits herself to death. In Shakespeare’s play “Antony and Cleopatra”, Cleopatra makes her decision to die possessing correct information about Caesar’s secret plans for her if she surrenders to him. This essay seeks to establish when Cleopatra irrevocably settles […]

2400 years have passed since the occurrence in Athens, Greece of one of the most famous suicides recorded in human history. This autobiographical essay provides a montage on the history of suicide, with snippets from the final hours of Socrates, as described by Plato. Suicide in contemporary Japanese culture is also explored briefly, with reference […]

13 case studies are used to illustrate the topics in this book. Chapters include: defining suicide; who commits suicide; the predisposition to suicide; the suicidal person; the social context of suicide, suicide in special groups & preventing suicide. The cases include: Dorothy Parker, Paul Kammerer, Yukio Mishima, Joe Orton & Kenneth Halliwell, Leicester Hemingway, Marilyn […]

This encyclopedia provides information on the suicides of 334 famous people. The date & place of birth, and the date & place of death as well as biographical information is provided for each entry. Entries are arranged alphabetically and include contemporary as well as historical figures.

In order to describe progress in suicidology, the author looks back to discuss well established concepts such as clues to suicide, ambivalence, crisis services, suicide consulations & psychological autopsies. Marilyn Monroe’s death is discussed. Author states that the chronically suicidal patients are at greater risk. Research on youth suicide is reported. Finally, the author looks […]

The suicide of rock star Kurt Cobain raised concerns about copycat suicides among youth. An overview of Cobain’s life & death is presented & various crisis centre & community-based interventions that occurred are discussed. The suggested “Werther effect” did not occur in the Seattle area but there was a significant increase in suicide crisis calls […]

Robert Stewart, Viscount of Castlereagh, was born in June 1769 in Dublin, Ireland. Castlereagh began his political career when he was appointed Keeper of the King’s Signet in 1797. By 1805, Castlereagh had advanced to become Secretary of State for War & the Colonies. In 1810, he retired from the government but returned in 1812 […]

A number of philosophers have questioned whether or not Socrates really committed suicide. This essay critiques the views of philosophers on the nature of Socrates’ death in the context of ideas & concepts from suicidology. Discussion includes the role of intent, suicide under duress, choosing the time of death, does suicide rule out murder, the […]

This article chronicles the life of Gerard de Nerval (Gerard Labrunie) from his birth in 1808 to his suicide by hanging in 1855. It discusses his relationship to his parents, what is known of his relationships with women, progression of his writing career & identification of successes & failures, the squandering of his inheritance, & […]

This article traces the childhood & education of Joseph Goebbels (born in 1897), development of his patriotic fervor, his career, & association with Hitler as his Minister for propaganda. Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945 during the battle for Berlin. While Joseph & his wife may have used cyanide to kill themselves, details are […]

Studies now show that creativity & mood disorders are linked. While temperaments & cognitive styles associated with mood disorders can in fact enhance creativity in some individuals, studies show that artists experience up to 18 times the rate of suicide seen in the general population, 8 to 10 times the rate of depression, & 10 […]

This article gives a brief summary of the lives of Vincent & Theo Van Gogh. Vincent’s short but prolific artistic career is outlined as are his bouts with mental illness. His reliance on his brother, Theo, for emotional & financial support throughout his lifetime is described. The incidence of mental illness in Wilhelmina & Cornelius, […]

This article reflects on media coverage of the suicide death of Kurt Cobain & quotes an earlier headline pointing to “depression” as an emerging theme in popular culture. Cobain’s message to youth through his music & lifestyle reflected his own depression & negative life experiences. This aricle explores Canadian conditions & why youth relate to […]

This editorial examines the suicide death of the Deputy Legal Counsel to the White House & personal attorney of President & Mrs. Clinton who died with recently-prescribed antidepressants. The learning lesson: in this age of psychobiology the tendency is to turn to a pill to solve unassessed problems that require far more. All the chemistry […]

This article reports on some of the memorial activities that took place in The Netherlands following Cobain’s suicide & explores reasons why adolescents identify with his persona & music. It provides a literature review of studies which have examined the role of modeling in suicidal behavior & notes that to date, no study has clearly […]

This issue of “The Pavese Society” proceedings has biographies of Robert Clive, Agnes Hammer & Edwin Howard Armstrong.

This biography presents the story of Robert Clive who went to India as a clerk with the East India Company in 1744. The war over the Austrian succession in 1746 marked the beginning of Clive’s military career. When Clive returned to England for the final time in 1768, he had had enormous military & business […]