Benevolent suicide

Benevolent suicide, also referred to as agathusia (gr. agathos + thusia, ἀγαθὸς + θυσία, noble sacrifice) refers to the self sacrifice of one's own life for sake of the greater good.[1] Such sacrifice may be for sake of executing a particular action, or for sake of keeping a natural balance in the society. It is a theme or concept of a custom of sacrifice typically found within certain types of science fiction stories. However, real examples of these customs have been recorded to exist among some indigenous people, such as certain Inuit tribes. This was seen by Émile Durkheim in his study Suicide as the product of over-integration with society.[2][3]

In contrast a "sacrifice" committed by force of a state is instead referred to as eugenics or mass murder, but may be otherwise referred to as "enforced population limits" or "population control". In literature, examples may promote the concept as a means for ending enduring types of social conflict, or else deride the concept as an example of a dystopian future society.[4]

In popular culture

See also

References

  1. Lewis B. Smedes (9 March 1989). Mere Morality: What God Expects from Ordinary People. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 114–. ISBN 978-0-8028-0257-6.
  2. Robert L. Barry (1 January 1996). Breaking the Thread of Life: On Rational Suicide. Transaction Publishers. pp. 13–. ISBN 978-1-56000-923-8.
  3. Steven J. Jensen (1 September 2011). The Ethics of Organ Transplantation. CUA Press. pp. 187–. ISBN 978-0-8132-1874-8.
  4. Rysa Ket. ReadOn. Rysa. pp. 1–. GGKEY:PJG0JH7UBZD.
  5. Dan Brown (14 May 2013). Inferno. Doubleday.
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