Atheists and suicide

[liam]

@liam

Emile Durkheim a was as brilliant pioneering sociologists, 'Suide' was still being read when I was an undergraduate in the 1980's and probably still is,for all I know. My perception is that his great contribution in "Suide" was his examination of the concept of 'anomie',for an individual and society, rather than his statistical analysis,which I think is flawed:


Durkheim made his observations in nineteenth century CATHOLIC France. Suicide shamed the family and a suicide could not be buried in hallowed ground. I think it's reasonable to suppose Catholic families would have done all they could to conceal the fact of a suicide. That could well have skewed any statistical records.

Indeed that is true and it has since been criticised on such grounds, this is why I provided the further studies that would confirm Durkheim's hypothesis and his study's conclusions. It also seems logically viable that the protestant section, being more detached from church and viewing the earth as a series of cruelty's, is more prone to suicidal tendencies.

To dismiss Durkheim simply on the basis of when his work was done is simply ignorant.

Indeed, his hypothetical assertion was the most important part of this study, I do believe. While there is a level of cautiousness required in citing older studies they cannot be so easily dismissed as wrong and even if they are perhaps LESS applicable today then they do still give an impression of the issues occurring between different religious groups in general through time

Liam, the quote below is for those unfamiliar with Durkheim, not to patronise you.

Worry not, I understand entirely, besides, another iteration of this quote is never a bad thing and helps it stick in the nogin for A2 sociology