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The Politics of Suicide: Miasma and Katharmos in Plato's Political Thought.

Authors :
Avramenko, Richard
Bunn, Philip Dane
Source :
Perspectives on Political Science. Apr-Jun2024, Vol. 53 Issue 2, p94-105. 12p.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Despite the laudable efforts of the medical and scientific community, the suicide contagion of the early twenty first century shows little sign of abating, especially amongst veterans. This article suggests that a supplemental resource for addressing the contemporary problem of suicide might be found in the history of political thought. Namely, we suggest turning to Plato who construes suicide as an action perpetrated by an identifiable and culpable individual who, in committing suicide, harms the polis itself. For Plato, this political harm must be understood in terms of pollution (miasma) and purification (katharmos). We suggest that Plato's arguments against suicide might be helpfully adapted into our preventative repertoire today, and that these arguments might be particularly poignant and helpful for military service members, both active duty and veteran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
10457097
Volume :
53
Issue :
2
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Perspectives on Political Science
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
176533331
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1080/10457097.2024.2327135