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Essay Subject:
Discusses Durkheim's view of obligatory altruistic suicide.... More...
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3 Pages / 675 Words
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Paper Abstract:
Discusses Durkheim's view of obligatory altruistic suicide. Concept that society is more important than the worth of any individual. Rejection by Durkheim of suicide that appeals to subjective mental states. The Al Quaeda terrorist actions and its concept of "dying for Allah." Arguments that the Al Quaeda attack on the United States was not a holy war as stated in the Koran.
Paper Introduction:
Durkheim, Suicide and Sept. 11, 2001
Theory
Emile Durkheim was a sociologist who tried to measure such abstract concepts as “religion” and “suicide” in society. "Collective tendencies have an existence of their own; they are forces as real as cosmic forces, though of another sort; they, likewise, affect the individual from without"(Thompson, 1982, 109). To Durkheim, suicide was a term applied to all “cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result"(Thompson, 1982, 110).
Durkheim divided the suicidal act into several categories. One of the classes that he considers, and that has a stunning importance following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, is that
Text of the Paper:
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(2 1, Sept. However, (obvious as it may seem), even the altruist kills himselfbecause he is unhappy. . 11, 2 1 Theory Emile Durkheim was a sociologist who tried to measure such abstractconcepts as "religion" and "suicide" in society. One of theclasses that he considers, and that has a stunning importance following theevents of Sept. The Reality Reynolds (2 1), a senior fellow of the Cato Institute is one of themany scholars who challenged the action that has been suspected to havebeen interpreted as the act of the group called Al Quaeda. . "Slay the idolaters wherever you find them . To Durkheim, suicide was a term applied toall "cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive ornegative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce thisresult"(Thompson, 1982, 11 ). (1982), Emile Durkheim, London: Tavistock Publications. except those of the idolaters with which you have made an agreement" (Reynolds, 2 1, 5). To Durkheim, altruistic suicide demonstrates his major thesis, whichseems to be to reject any definition of suicide which appeals to subjectivemental states--motives, purposes, general lassitude, or depression, forinstance etc. 16), This is no holy war, The Washington Times,5Thompson, K. He thinks that the egoist (a person directly opposite of the"altruist") is unhappy because he sees nothing "real" in the world besidesthe individual, while the altruist is sad because the individual seems so"unreal". But Durkheim analyzes the levels and causes of thisunhappiness. "Collective tendencieshave an existence of their own; they are forces as real as cosmic forces,though of another sort; they, likewise, affect the individual fromwithout"(Thompson, 1982, 1 9). In this act, argues Durkheim, society is seen asfar more important than any individual, and the worth of any individualmust be subjugated to the needs of the society. The person who kills himself, is doing an act which is a highlyadvanced level of virtue (as conceived by the society in which the personlives.) The Jew who leaps off the cliff at Masada or the Roman soldier whofalls upon his sword, or the Japanese chief who commits hara kari ratherthan face shame, are simply grander extensions of the societal concept ofvirtuous behavior. If this is so, then is this an explanation of the 29Muslims who arranged their suicides to also destroy the lives of thousandsof people. Among hisarguments we find The Koran never excuses a Holy War or Jihad against fellow monotheists - Christians or Jews - but only against those who worship idols (idolaters) or many gods (polytheists). 11, 2 1, is that of "obligatory altruistic suicide"(Thompson, 1982, 122). Durkheim's arguments about suicide are a helpful way to make somesense out of the acts of the Al Quaeda terrorists who seem to think thatsuicide in the name of Allah is only beneficial if that suicide alsoincludes innocent people who die as a result of the individual act.ReferencesReynolds, A. Durkheim divided the suicidal act into several categories. Durkheim, Suicide and Sept. Even in the case of idolaters, the Koran honors peace agreements. In this respect, if he is to be believed, suicide achieves a highnobility. Primitive societies thatwere studied by Durkheim had certain types of people who were more or lessrequired to kill themselves---old men, widows, servants and true believers,as in the case of Masada where hundreds of Hebrews killed themselves ratherthan live under Roman rule. In hiseditorial he argues that the theoretical concept of "dying for Allah" isboth a sham and is not truly an interpretation of the Koran. Durkheim suggests that this kind of"sacrifice," is non-selfish and therefore altruistic.
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