11.0078 suicide philosophically

Humanist Discussion Group (humanist@kcl.ac.uk)
Sat, 31 May 1997 06:16:42 +0100 (BST)

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 11, No. 78.
Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
<http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>

[1] From: "Dr. Pauline Kra" <kra@ymail.yu.edu> (6)
Subject: Re: 11.0077 suicide philosophically

[2] From: David McNeil <dmcneil@is.dal.ca> (7)
Subject: Re: 11.0077 suicide philosophically

--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 11:27:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Dr. Pauline Kra" <kra@ymail.yu.edu>
Subject: Re: 11.0077 suicide philosophically

Dear Gregory,

I am very grateful to you for the extensive expert bibliography. Your
response to my query on the internet proves the power of the medium.

Since you are uniquely qualified to interpret the Montesquieu letters on
suicide, would you expand your comments on them? Where do you see the
intention to "mock Neo-Stoicism"?

Pauline

--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 12:16:01 -0300 (ADT)
From: David McNeil <dmcneil@is.dal.ca>
Subject: Re: 11.0077 suicide philosophically

On philosophical discussions of suicide, see David Hume's suppressed essay
in which he defends the practice. His publisher would have none of it.
See also Arthur Schopenhauer who ultimately rejects suicide as a
capitulation to the will but who expresses much sympathy for suicidal
tendencies (& supports Hume's ideas to a degree). For Schopenhauer, see
the essay on suicide and "suicide" in the index to _The World as Will and
Representation_ (vol. 2)--Payne translation.

David McNeil dmcneil@is.dal.ca