From autothanasia to suicide: self-killing in classical antiquity

This book, by a historian of psychology, covers not only topics dealt with by Aristotle in his treatise On the soul, but his whole treatment of the nature of human beings. There is a clear attempt to cover the subject comprehensively (including, for example, what Aristotle says about women and slaves), suggesting that the book is chiefly intended for non-specialists interested in the comparison of Aristotle's thought on human nature with that of more recent theorists. Robinson's interpretations are helpful here not only in connection with the explanations of sensation and action in Aristotle's psychological works, but also concerning questions of character development and socialization in the Ethics and Politics. The first two chapters survey relevant areas ofearlier Greek thought. Contrasts between Plato and Aristotle form a recurrent theme in the book, which concludes with discussion of the tension between the theoretical and practical lives in Nicomachean Ethics 10 and its implication for Aristotle's view of the nature of human beings. The treatment of some topics is inevitably compressed. Page 63 links the active as opposed to the passive intellect of De anima 3.5 with scientific knowledge of universals as opposed to knowledge based on perception, which is at least a questionable interpretation of a notoriously difficult chapter, and promises further discussion in ch. 7, but there is no explicit reference there to the distinction of De anima 3.5. The citation at p.33 n.6 of Posterior Analytics 75a30-5 as saying that we cannot really explain what happens usually, but not always, is accurate in itselfbut needs to be modified in the light of Metaphysics E 2 1037a20. Anaxagoras is misrepresented as having taught that all reality was reason, coupling him with Parmenides against the materialists (p. 47). There are also minor irritations such as the citation of passages from Hesiod's extant Works and Days with "Fragment" numbers, and errors like "Euripedes" (twice on p. 9), "the faculty of praktikos" (p. 81), and teloi as the plural of telos (p. 99). "Rejuvenated" is misspelled twice on p. 18, and there are other printing errors ("caressing" misspelled on p. 124, for example). There is some interesting material in this book; more of the occasional blemishes should have been ironed out by a publisher's reader. All you ever wanted to know about ancient suicide-and a good deal more-can be found here. Ravished virgins, defeated generals, heroic slaves, and aged invalids cluster in a …