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More on philosophical and psychological interpretations of and judgments about suicide with guest Drew Pinsky.
Is suicide an epidemic or a choice? Could it be both? Socrates didn't fear death and inspired Stoics and others to see suicide in some circumstances as brave. Or is it always cowardly? Does meaninglessness motivate suicide? If so, why should it?
Listen to part one first or get the Citizen Edition, which will also get you access to the follow-up discussion, where Mark and Wes get more into Durkheim and talk about all the various types of explanation at work here: sociological, psychotherapeutic, experimental, evolutionary, etc.
End song: "Disappear" by Chris Cacavas as heard on Nakedly Examined Music #87.
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The earliest writing on the meaninglessness of life, as far as I know, is the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament (Vanity of vanities, all is vanity). That’s a long time before existentialism.
By the way, there’s no “just” God in that book.
I just discovered your podcast and am grateful that you are still at it! Thank you for doing this – I will become a “citizen.” Happy new year.