After examining the personal reasons, one has to
eventually scrutinize the social reasons. As Emile
Durkheim puts it, “Suicide is a Social Fact”. He says
that suicide more than being a personal thing is
triggered by the social events. The research says that
excess amount of social equilibrium leads to two
extremes of suicide or murder. Emile Durkheim’s
threefold classification of suicides made on the basis of
the disturbance in the relationship between society and
the individual: (i) Egoistic suicide which results when
abnormal individualism weakens society’s control over
him; the individual in such cases lacks concern for the
community with which he is inadequately involved; (ii)
Altruistic suicide which is due to an excessive sense of
duty to community; and (iii) Anomic suicide which is
due to society’s failure to control and regulate the
behavior of individuals.
The argument given by the bodies such as WHO and the
IASP is that because of fear of getting imprisonment
and other social stigmas attached to this social fact,
the people who have suicidal tendencies do not
approach any of these organizations for any help. Also
most of the cases of failed suicide result in the
argument of accidental and wrong medication and it is
then when these people need an advanced level of moral
support, counseling and other help, they do not come
out in front of the world with their problem so get any
help because of being penalised.
These days religious scriptures are coming back into
motion when such topics as suicide are taken into
account. Generally the religions such as Hinduism,
Islam and Christianity do not allow suicide. The only
argument is that since that supreme entity is the one
who gave us life has the full and only right to take it
back from us.
There are no indications whatsoever that there was an
increase in suicides following decriminalisation, and in
many instances it is thought that suicide decreased
since more suicidal individuals received the help they
need. Countries such as Singapore, which still imprison
some suicide attempters, do not appear to have any
benefits from those practices. For example, in Singapore
suicide rates have been increasing in recent years
despite there having suicide as a punishable offence.
For the sake of brevity I would just discuss two
religions, which have seemingly opposite views on the
issue in question. Hinduism