Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

Suicide in Plotinus’ Philosophy on the Axis of Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy

Year 2018, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 339 - 355, 21.07.2018
https://doi.org/10.18491/beytulhikme.446510

Abstract

Suicide, which is defined
as the attempt of the human being against his life using his will, has
been a subject of deep discussions of the philosophical field as an
equivalent of the search for the meaning in the existential sense beyond
just a sociological fact. In this sense, suicide has been debated in
the philosophical field from antiquity to nowadays and different
approaches to this phenomenon have been made. While Greek philosophy
opposes suicide in a holistic sense, in the Roman philosophy, positive
approaches have been taken towards suicide, particularly in Stoicism.
Plotinus, the founding philosopher of Neoplatonism who spent the last
days of his life in Rome, was not unfamiliar to the subject, and he
wrote a treatise on suicide albeit small. In this article, it will be
dealt with general approaches to the suicide in the Greek and Roman
philosophies, followed evaluations by Plotinus regarding the suicide.


References

  • Aristotle (2002). Nicomachean Ethics. (Trans. & com. S. Broadie & C. Rowe). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Aster, E. (2005). İlkçağ ve Ortaçağ Felsefe Tarihi. (haz. V. Okur). İstanbul: İm Yayınları.
  • Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew, vol. II. Louisville: John Knox Press.
  • Bexley E. (2010). The Myth of the Republic. Lucan’s Bellum Civile: Between Epic Tradition and Aesthetic Innovation. Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 135-153.
  • Bowersock, G. W. (1995). Martyrdom and Rome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Cholbi, M. (2011). Suicide: The Philosophical Dimensions. Peterborough: Broadview Press.
  • Edwards, C. (2014). Death and Time. Brill's Companion to Seneca: Philosopher and Dramatist. (Eds. G. Damschen & A. Heil). Leiden & Boston: Brill, 323-342.
  • Epictetus (1877). The Discourses of Epictetus with the Enchiridion and Fragments. (Trans. G. Long). London: George Bell & Sons.
  • Harrison, J. R. (2011). Paul and the Imperial Authorities at Thessalonica and Rome. Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck.
  • Kalligas, P. (2014). The Enneads of Plotinus: A Commentary, vol. 1. (Trans. E. K. Fowden & N. Pilavachi). Princeton & Oxford: Princeton University Press.
  • Kalogiratou, A. (2009). Plotinus’ Views on Soul, Suicide and Incarnation. ΣΧΟΛΗ, 3 (2), 387–400.
  • Leenaars, A. A. (2004). Psychotherapy with Suicidal People: A Person-Centred Approch. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
  • Lucan (1992). Civil War. (Trans. S. H. Braund). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Marks, A. H. (2003). Historical Suicide. Handbook of Death and Dying. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publication, 309-318.
  • Pattabanoğlu F. Z. (2015). Seneca’da Felsefe ve Ölüm. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 22, 137-158.
  • Pearson, A. C. (1891). The Fragments of Zeno And Cleanthes. London: Cambridge University Press.
  • Plato (1926). Laws. (Trans. R. G. Bury). London: William Heinemann.
  • Plato (2001). Phaedo. (Trans. R. Hackforth). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
  • Plotinus (1969). The Enneads. (Trans. S. MacKenna). London: Faber & Faber Ltd.
  • Plotinus (1997) Tâsûât Eflûtîn (Terc. F. Cebr). Beyrut: Mektebet Lubnân.
  • Porphyry (2017). Plotinus’un Hayatı ve Çalışmalarının Düzenlenmesi Hakkında. (Çev. M. M. Karakaya). Eskiyeni, 35, 113-150.
  • Rist, J. M. (1977). Plotinus: The Road to Reality. Cambridge University Press.
  • Rist, J. M. (1996). Man, Soul and Body: Essays in Ancient Thought from Plato to Dionysius. London: Variorum.
  • Ruff, C. A. (1974). The Complexity of Roman Suicide. (MA Thesis). Richmond: Richmond University.
  • Seneca, L. A. (1979). Ad Lucilium Epistulae Morales. (Trans. R. M. Gummere). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Seneca, L. A. (1987). Seneca's Hercules Furens. (Int. & com. J. G. Fitch). Ithaca & London: Cornell University Press.
  • Seneca, L. A. (1995). Seneca’s Phoenissae. (Int. & com. M. Frank). Leiden, New York & Köln: E. J. Brill.
  • Stephens, W.O. (2014). Epictetus on Fearing Death: Bugbear and Open Door Policy. Ancient Philosophy, 34, 365-391.
  • Şen, N. (2008). Batı Düşünce Tarihinde İntiharın Algısal İnşası. Kaygı: Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe Dergisi, 11, 191-202.
  • Sümer, N. (2015). Dinlerin İntihar Olgusuna Bakışı. (Doktora Tezi). Ankara: Ankara Üniversitesi SBE.
  • Vernezze, P. J. (2005). Don't Worry, Be Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Troubled Times. Lanham: University Press of America.
Year 2018, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 339 - 355, 21.07.2018
https://doi.org/10.18491/beytulhikme.446510

Abstract

References

  • Aristotle (2002). Nicomachean Ethics. (Trans. & com. S. Broadie & C. Rowe). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Aster, E. (2005). İlkçağ ve Ortaçağ Felsefe Tarihi. (haz. V. Okur). İstanbul: İm Yayınları.
  • Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew, vol. II. Louisville: John Knox Press.
  • Bexley E. (2010). The Myth of the Republic. Lucan’s Bellum Civile: Between Epic Tradition and Aesthetic Innovation. Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 135-153.
  • Bowersock, G. W. (1995). Martyrdom and Rome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Cholbi, M. (2011). Suicide: The Philosophical Dimensions. Peterborough: Broadview Press.
  • Edwards, C. (2014). Death and Time. Brill's Companion to Seneca: Philosopher and Dramatist. (Eds. G. Damschen & A. Heil). Leiden & Boston: Brill, 323-342.
  • Epictetus (1877). The Discourses of Epictetus with the Enchiridion and Fragments. (Trans. G. Long). London: George Bell & Sons.
  • Harrison, J. R. (2011). Paul and the Imperial Authorities at Thessalonica and Rome. Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck.
  • Kalligas, P. (2014). The Enneads of Plotinus: A Commentary, vol. 1. (Trans. E. K. Fowden & N. Pilavachi). Princeton & Oxford: Princeton University Press.
  • Kalogiratou, A. (2009). Plotinus’ Views on Soul, Suicide and Incarnation. ΣΧΟΛΗ, 3 (2), 387–400.
  • Leenaars, A. A. (2004). Psychotherapy with Suicidal People: A Person-Centred Approch. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
  • Lucan (1992). Civil War. (Trans. S. H. Braund). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Marks, A. H. (2003). Historical Suicide. Handbook of Death and Dying. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publication, 309-318.
  • Pattabanoğlu F. Z. (2015). Seneca’da Felsefe ve Ölüm. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 22, 137-158.
  • Pearson, A. C. (1891). The Fragments of Zeno And Cleanthes. London: Cambridge University Press.
  • Plato (1926). Laws. (Trans. R. G. Bury). London: William Heinemann.
  • Plato (2001). Phaedo. (Trans. R. Hackforth). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
  • Plotinus (1969). The Enneads. (Trans. S. MacKenna). London: Faber & Faber Ltd.
  • Plotinus (1997) Tâsûât Eflûtîn (Terc. F. Cebr). Beyrut: Mektebet Lubnân.
  • Porphyry (2017). Plotinus’un Hayatı ve Çalışmalarının Düzenlenmesi Hakkında. (Çev. M. M. Karakaya). Eskiyeni, 35, 113-150.
  • Rist, J. M. (1977). Plotinus: The Road to Reality. Cambridge University Press.
  • Rist, J. M. (1996). Man, Soul and Body: Essays in Ancient Thought from Plato to Dionysius. London: Variorum.
  • Ruff, C. A. (1974). The Complexity of Roman Suicide. (MA Thesis). Richmond: Richmond University.
  • Seneca, L. A. (1979). Ad Lucilium Epistulae Morales. (Trans. R. M. Gummere). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Seneca, L. A. (1987). Seneca's Hercules Furens. (Int. & com. J. G. Fitch). Ithaca & London: Cornell University Press.
  • Seneca, L. A. (1995). Seneca’s Phoenissae. (Int. & com. M. Frank). Leiden, New York & Köln: E. J. Brill.
  • Stephens, W.O. (2014). Epictetus on Fearing Death: Bugbear and Open Door Policy. Ancient Philosophy, 34, 365-391.
  • Şen, N. (2008). Batı Düşünce Tarihinde İntiharın Algısal İnşası. Kaygı: Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe Dergisi, 11, 191-202.
  • Sümer, N. (2015). Dinlerin İntihar Olgusuna Bakışı. (Doktora Tezi). Ankara: Ankara Üniversitesi SBE.
  • Vernezze, P. J. (2005). Don't Worry, Be Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Troubled Times. Lanham: University Press of America.
There are 31 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Philosophy
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Mehmet Murat Karakaya

Publication Date July 21, 2018
Published in Issue Year 2018 Volume: 8 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Karakaya, M. M. (2018). Suicide in Plotinus’ Philosophy on the Axis of Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy. Beytulhikme An International Journal of Philosophy, 8(1), 339-355. https://doi.org/10.18491/beytulhikme.446510