The History of Suicide (IN: Suicide Assessment and Intervention, ed. by C L Hatton and S M Valente)

The history of suicide is explored by surveying the attitudes toward suicide in western civilization as illustrated by examples from the writings of theologians & philosophers. During the nineteenth century, various factors led to the secularization of death & suicide, & today the study of suicide has become a scientific discipline referred to as suicidology. The end of the chapter includes a section on the history of suicide prevention. (LH)