SUICIDE: A SOCIO-PHILOSOPHICAL DIMENSION

Abstract

The article offers a socio-philosophical perspective on suicide, viewing it not merely as a personal tragedy but as a complex social phenomenon in which an individual’s decision is inseparably intertwined with the deep social determinants that shape it. The theoretical foundation is grounded in Émile Durkheim’s classical concept, whose pioneering approach defined suicide as a social fact and made it possible to examine its direct dependence on key parameters of social life – the level of social integration and regulation. A reinterpretation of these ideas in the twenty-first century shows that, despite the advancement of technology, mental health systems, and social institutions, suicide continues to serve as a marker of profound structural disruptions in social order, moral interaction, and the sense of belonging. The relevance of the issue increases amid the multiple crises of modernity – war, pandemics, economic vulnerability, loss of institutional trust, information overload, and the erosion of traditional norms. In such conditions, the individual often finds themselves at the intersection of high social expectations and a lack of resources to meet them, leading to inner exhaustion, frustration, and a feeling of social redundancy. Special attention is given to the study of suicide as a phenomenon shaped by complex social processes that create radically new circumstances for the individual. It involves a rethinking of human suffering, the limits of endurance, and the moral boundaries of social support and responsibility. The analysis shows that although the specific factors influencing suicide vary across historical periods, their roots remain invariably social. Combining classical theoretical approaches with contemporary research reveals new risk factors associated with changes in community structures, communication patterns, and the emergence of fundamentally new environments capable of both integrating and radically isolating the individual. Attention is also paid to suicide prevention, which demonstrates that effective measures are possible only through the strengthening of solidarity, increased access to psychosocial support, and the formation of cultural narratives that counteract the normalization of self-destruction. The scientific novelty of the research lies in its socio-philosophical interpretation of suicide as an indicator of transformations in the structure of collective existence, shedding light on the limits of social unity and testing the resilience of moral order. The practical significance of the study lies in its potential application for developing humanistic strategies to support individuals in crisis states and for strengthening society’s collective responsibility for the life of every person.