Der Selbstmord als sociale Massenerscheinung der modernen Civilisation

Masaryk's book on suicide, published in 1881 in Vienna, deserves special attention in more than one respect. On the one hand it is a striking document of Austrian intellectual history, a philosophical-anthropological work attempting a unification of the Catholic belief in authority with elements of Protestant individualism. On the other hand, it is an important early study of the problem of suicide in general and of the high Austrian suicide rate in particular. The introduction by J. C. Nyiri describes the historical context of Masaryk's work, analyses later and present-day suicide trends in the successor states of Austria-Hungary, and includes important reflections on the Philosophy and Sociology of Suicide in general. Of interest to: Philosophers, anthropo1ogists, social-psychologists, sociologists, historians