Diss.--Ludwig-Maximilians Universität--München, 1996. / Bibliogr. p. 143-149.

This study explores the formation and evolution of Mary Shelley's philosophy of sympathy, one which she continued to revise and refine throughout her lifetime. Her novels, journals, and letters reveal a persistent desire to understand what she perceived to be a deeply fraught emotion, a moral sentiment grounded in paradox. Engaging with the Moral Sense philosophy of Anthony Ashley Cooper, the third earl of Shaftesbury (1671-1713), Francis Hutcheson (1694-1746), David Hume (1711-1776), and Adam Smith (1723-1790), Shelley insists that sympathy lies at the very heart of our ethical being, encouraging recognition of and respect for the other. Yet, as she demonstrates in her fiction-from Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) to Falkner (1837)-when felt to excess, sympathy can mutate into an unnatural and harmful emotion capable of provoking antisocial, immoral, incestuous, and even suicidal behaviour. More than this, Shelley's investigation of sympathy exposes its serious limitations. Predicated on a similarity to self, sympathy, Shelley suggests, often fails when confronted with difference. Finally, through multiple perspectives, Shelley illustrates the complex and contradictory motivations behind sympathy, showing that it can arise from genuine benevolence, self-interest, or a combination of the two, an entangling of intentions that serves to further complicate this moral sentiment. Ultimately, Shelley's philosophy of sympathy acknowledges its shortcomings and potential dangers but nonetheless celebrates sympathy as a social virtue, as the locus of our moral selves.

No description available.

M.A. / In this study the author has conversations with various therapists about their experiences of having a client commit suicide. The focus of this study is therefore on the personal and professional experiences of the therapist. The common themes which emerged from the various narratives were analysed against the backdrop of historical patterns of suicide. The personal experience of the researcher is also included and compared with the narratives of the participants of this research in an attempt at uncovering a shared narrative.

No description available.

The present study investigated two aspects of suicide which, to date, had received little attention. These are problem-solving behavior and perception. In terms of problem-solving behavior, this study established (l) that suicidal patients show a lesser sense of concern about self-improvement and religion than non-suicidal patients; (2) that suicidal patients are significantly more passive and less competitive in their mode of response to problems than non-suicidal patients; and (3) that suicidal individuals tend to become rigid more quickly in stressful problem-solving situations than non-suicidal individuals. In the area of perception, it was established that suicidal patients are significantly more field-dependent than non-suicidal patients. In addition, the results of investigating these two aspects of suicidal behavior contributed to a better understanding of the personality make-up of suicidal individuals. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

L'objectif de la thèse était d’élaborer un projet de réforme du droit, visant la légalisation du suicide assisté et de l’euthanasie au Canada, projet qui s’inscrit dans le cadre théorique du libéralisme politique, qui respecte les principes dégagés par la jurisprudence en matière de protection des droits fondamentaux et qui, finalement, s’inspire des meilleures pratiques à l’étranger. La méthodologie consistait principalement en une analyse de la législation, de la jurisprudence et de la doctrine, canadienne et étrangère, en matière de suicide assisté et d’euthanasie. Des emprunts à des sources doctrinales en philosophie ont également été faits et un projet de loi a été rédigé, à partir des analyses effectuées. La thèse se divise en quatre chapitres. Le premier chapitre présente le cadre théorique, plus précisément une comparaison entre deux théories appliquées au suicide assisté : le libéralisme et le moralisme. Le deuxième chapitre consiste en une analyse du droit canadien en matière de suicide assisté, où l’encadrement législatif du suicide assisté et la jurisprudence portant sur les articles 7 et 15 de la Charte canadienne sont examinés. Le troisième chapitre présente une analyse du droit étranger, dans les états où le suicide assisté et l’euthanasie sont permis : la Suisse, les Pays-Bas, la Belgique, le Luxembourg, et quatre états américains (Oregon, Washington, Vermont et Montana). Finalement, dans le quatrième chapitre, sont proposés un projet de loi fédéral qui légalise le suicide assisté et l’euthanasie, ainsi qu’une justification de ce projet de loi et une comparaison avec d’autres projets de légalisation du suicide assisté et de l’euthanasie. Le projet de loi rédigé s’inscrit dans la théorie du libéralisme politique, respecte les droits fondamentaux eu égard à la jurisprudence et s’inspire des régimes en vigueur aux Pays-Bas, en Belgique et au Luxembourg.

This study was undertaken to answer the following question: Is excessive dependence related to suicidal behavior? In addition, as depression may be an integral part of suicidal behavior, the following question was explored: Is depth of depression related to suicidal behavior? These questions were explored by the administration of three questionnaires - the Navran Dy, the Frequency of Dependency Expression Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory. The questionnaires were administered to two groups: Group 1 comprised those who had attempted suicide and Group 2, those who had not attempted suicide. In addition, the Navran Dy was administered to the mater of each client in both groups. There were ten clients and ten mates in each group. A t-test was done to determine whether the means of each group differed significantly on four measures: (1) the Navran Dy (administered to clients); (2) the Navran Dy (administered to mates); (3) the Frequency of Dependency Expression Questionnaire; and (4) the Beck Depression Inventory. The findings partially supported the notion that those who attempted suicide are excessively more dependent than those who did not. That is, their mean scores on the Navran Dy were significantly different; however, the mean scores on the Frequency of Dependency Expression Questionnaire did not differ. Dependency of mates in both groups was identical. Finally, there was a borderline significance between both groups in depth of depression with the suicidal group being more depressed than the non-suicidal group. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

Approximately one million people die by suicide annually worldwide. Yet current suicide prediction and prevention tools are inadequate, and suicide rates are increasing in the United States. Certain populations are known to have especially high rates of suicide, including sexual minority and rural populations. However, little research has examined rural sexual minorities to see if risk may be compounded for this group. The research on sexual minority suicide has identified several factors that may be important mediators and moderators of suicide risk in this group. Specifically, victimization has been identified as a factor that may mediate the risk of suicide among sexual minorities. Additionally, evidence suggests depression may mediate the risk between victimization and suicide among sexual minorities. Finally, studies have demonstrated that social support may act as a protective factor against suicide risk. The current study examined an integrated model of suicide risk among sexual minorities across rural, suburban, and urban settings. The current study suggests that that rurality has an indirect effect on suicidal thoughts through victimization and, subsequently, through depression. The combination of rurality, victimization, and depression also predicts suicide attempts, but they do not exert their influence through the hypothesized path. Further, the models testing whether social support moderated the association between victimization and depression demonstrated poor model fit and could not be interpreted.

It was the purpose of this investigation to add to the scientific knowledge of death and suicide and to present an exploratory investigation into the possibility of developing an attitudinal technique or scale of measuring responsiveness toward death, which has to do with how a person responds to his own death and the "death-instincts."