Suicide As An Act Of Cowardice By Albert Camus - 2102 Words

â€Å"But in the end one needs more courage to live than to kill himself† Albert Camus. This quote from his first novel perfectly illustrates the core belief surrounding suicide, both from the survivors’ point of view, as well as from the suicidal person’s. Indeed, suicide is often believed to be an act of cowardice by those who are left behind, whereas those who give up believe living requires much more courage than they have. Suicide has been creating controversy over the years. Its history and causal patterns are being discussed in this paper, as well as my interest and own experience of the subject, followed by a review of the possible contributing factors of its increasing rates in our mod-ern society. The word â€Å"Suicide† has Latin roots. The first half of the word comes from the Latin  « sui  » meaning â€Å"of oneself† and the second half from â€Å"caedere† meaning â€Å"kill†. It is defined as the act of intentionally taking one’s own life. The history of suicide goes a long way, and attitudes towards it vary across time and cultures. In ancient Greece as well as in ancient Rome, suicide was not prohib-ited under some specific situations and depending on the person committing it. Around 510BC, in Rome, Lucretia was raped by the son of the King, Sextus Tarquinius. After asking for vengeance to all Roman dignitaries, Lucretia proceeded to kill herself. It is after her act of suicide that Rome be-came a Republic, making her a part of History and a great inspiration to numerous artists.Show MoreRelatedExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pagesthe doctrine that essence is prior to existence While, Existentialism:A philosophical theory or approach, that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free amp; responsible agent, determining their own development through acts of the will. Existentialism * is a philosophical term which posits that individuals create the meaning and essence of their lives. Existentialism asserts that â€Å"existence precedes essence,† which is in opposition to the classical doctrine