Egoism and Suicide

DURKHEIM
 SECTIONS OF TEXTBOOK READING

Pt 1 Biographical and social context pp. 99-109

Pt 2 Cultural Sociology pp. 109-110

Pt 3 Religion and the origin of society pp. 110-120

Pt 4 Diversity and moral consensus pp. 120-130

Pt 5 Suicide, egoism and individuality pp. 131-134

Pt 6 Thinking about modernity and postmodernity pp. 135-138

SOCIOLOGY OF SUICIDE
 Durkheim studies it as a modern problem
WORLD WAR 1 TRENCHES MENTAL ILLNESS/SUICIDE
(HTTPS://COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG/WIKI/FILE:WW1_TRENCH_WARFARE.JPG HTTPS://WWW.NEEDPIX.COM/PHOTO/263459/SAD-DEPRESSED-DEPRESSION-SADNESS-
YOUNG-PERSON-STRESS-GIRL-ALONE

MODERN CONFLICT IS BOTH BETWEEN AND WITHIN PERSONS

SOCIOLOGY OF SUICIDE
 Durkheim studies it as a modern problem

 His sociological analysis relies on the newfound field of

demography

 He argues that different societies have different suicide quotas or

suicide rates (these are social facts)
 Suicide rates vary by country

 Suicide rates vary by other social factors too:

religious affiliation, marriage, occupation

 Suicide rates do not vary within country or region

or occupational area
Suicides per region in
France (from Appendix
2 of Suicide):
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Durkheim,
_Le_Suicide,_planche_II.jpg
 “If anomy never appeared except…in intermittent
spurts and acute crisis, it might cause the rate of
suicide to vary from time to time, but it would
not be a regular constant factor. In one sphere of
life, however, the sphere of trade and industry-it
is actually a chronic state” (Durkheim,
1897/1951: 215).
SOCIOLOGY OF SUICIDE
 Durkheim studies it as a modern problem

 His sociological analysis relies on the newfound field of

demography

 He argues that different societies have different suicide quotas or

suicide rates (these are social facts)

 The social fact of the suicide rate can be studied in relation to

other social facts like the level of social integration or regulation
in a society
Suicide: Individual
Fact
 Social Suicide Rate:
Social Fact

Through the concept of Social Suicide Rate, Suicide becomes Social Fact

Suicide: Individual
Fact
As Social Fact, Durkheim can argue that suicide is caused by other Social
Facts
Social
Integration Social Suicide Rate:
Social Fact

Social
Regulation

Suicide: Individual
Fact
DURKHEIM’S SUICIDE TYPOLOGY
FOUR KINDS OF SUICIDE

On the integrative pole:

1) Egoistic – not enough integration

2) Altruistic – too much integration

On the regulative pole:

3) Anomic – not enough regulation

4) Fatalistic – to much regulation
Measures of social integration

Too much integration:

Altruistic Suicide
Marriage/Family

Religion
Impact on
suicide rate

Political Affiliation
Too little integration:
Egoistic Suicide
Measures of social regulation

Too much regulation:

+
religion offers increased
Fatalistic Suicide
regulation

Impact on
suicide rate

capitalism leads to decrease

in regulation
_
Too little regulation:
Anomic Suicide