Exploring Suicidal Ambivalence

Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-041-01748-6
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 252 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 453 g

Reihe: Routledge Studies in Contemporary Philosophy

This volume offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary exploration of ambivalence in suicidal agency, a phenomenon that, despite its significance in clinical psychology, remains under-conceptualized.

Philosophers debate what ambivalence amounts to and whether ambivalence undermines practical rationality and agency, yet this discourse has rarely been applied to suicidal ambivalence. This volume examines the structural features of ambivalence in suicidal individuals, focusing, among other things, on the conflicting desires to end one's life versus the desire to live. By analyzing these opposing mental states, it clarifies the psychological and philosophical dimensions of ambivalence and its impact on the transition from suicidal ideation to action. Additionally, it critically evaluates whether ambivalence reflects diminished rationality and whether suicidal ambivalence potentially justifies paternalistic interventions. Bridging psychology and philosophy, this volume provides a nuanced understanding of ambivalence in suicidal agency, with significant implications for clinical practice and ethical decision-making.

Exploring Suicidal Ambivalence will appeal to researchers and graduate students working in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, clinical psychology, medical ethics, and psychiatry.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Weichold, Martin

Baston, René

Baston, Rene

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Psychotherapie / Klinische Psychologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Moderne Philosophische Disziplinen Philosophie des Geistes, Neurophilosophie
• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Psychologie / Allgemeines & Theorie Psychologie: Allgemeines

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: The Relevance of Ambivalence in Suicidal Behavior  Part 1: The Basics  1. Psychological Perspectives on Suicidal Ambivalence 2. Philosophical Perspectives on Suicidal Ambivalence 3. Ambivalence: Some Conceptual Distinctions  Part 2: Explaining Suicidal Ambivalence  4. Understanding Suicide, Acting for Reasons, and Ambivalence 5. The Ambivalence Model of Suicidality 6. Competing Motives and Forces: A Complex Systems View of Suicidal Ambivalence 7. Situated Suicidality: Taking the Environment Seriously  Part 3: The Value of Ambivalence  8. The Benefits of Ambivalence and the Context of Suicide Intervention 9. Unmastered Ambivalence 10. Circles of Thought: When Ambivalence Threatens Our Agency  Part 4: Ethical Implications of Suicidal Ambivalence  11. Ambivalence and Paternalistic Suicide Prevention 12. Ambivalence and Medical Aid in Dying

Über Autor(innen)

René Baston is a Research Fellow at TU Dortmund. He has held positions in Bochum, Düsseldorf, Arizona, Edinburgh, and Boulder. His research focuses on philosophy of mind and psychology, especially suicidology. His dissertation was published as Implizite Vorurteile – Wie unbewusster Rassismus unser Denken begleitet (2020).

Martin Weichold is Lecturer in Practical Philosophy at TU Dresden. He previously researched at Göttingen, Berkeley, Vienna, and Regensburg. His work explores links between philosophy of psychology and ethics. Publications include Zwischen Reflex und Reflexion (2015) and The Autonomous Individual: A Praxeological Enactivist Account (2024).