Rethinking Suicide: Beyond Public Health

When we talk about suicide, it's often framed as a public health issue. But is that the whole story? This essay takes a step back to explore the deeper meanings and historical contexts behind suicide. Drawing on ideas from thinkers like Michel Foucault, Primo Levi, and Judith Butler, we'll challenge the simplistic view that suicide is just a medical problem. Suicide isn't just about individuals; it's about the society they live in. Foucault's concept of biopower helps us see how suicide gets swept up into a larger narrative about controlling and managing populations. This can make it hard to see the personal struggle and agency behind each act. Primo Levi's work reminds us that suicide often happens in the wake of immense emotional pain, pain that's often rooted in societal violence. Judith Butler adds to this by showing how suicide can be a radical act, a way of resisting and bearing witness against the violence of the state. So, rather than just looking at suicide through a medical lens, we need to understand it as a complex act with deep cultural and historical roots. It's about more than just public health; it's about power, pain, and resistance.