
The Perversion of Virtue
Understanding Murder-Suicide
Thomas Joiner(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 27. March 2014
Book
Hardback
264 pages
978-0-19-933455-1 (ISBN)
Description
Of the approximately 38,500 deaths by suicide in the U.S. annually, about two percent - between 750 and 800 - are murder-suicides. The horror of the murder-suicide looms large in the public consciousness-they are reported in the media with more frequently and far more sensationalism than most suicides, and yet very little research has been conducted on this grave form of violence.
In The Perversion of Virtue, suicide researcher Thomas Joiner explores the nature of murder-suicide and offers a unique new theory to explain this nearly unexplainable act: that 'true' murder-suicides always involve the wrongheaded invocation of one of four interpersonal virtues: mercy, justice, duty, and glory. The parent who murders his child and then himself seeks to 'save' his child from a fatherless life of hardship; the wife who murders her husband and then herself seeks to right the wrongs he committed against her, and so on.
Rather than distorting these four virtues beyond recognition, murder-suicide involves the gross misperception of when and how these virtues should be applied. Drawing on case studies from the media as well as from scholarly literature, Joiner meticulously examines, deconstructs, and finally rebuilds our understanding of murder-suicide in such a way as to bring tragic reason to what may seem an unfathomable act of violence. Along the way he also dispels some of the most enduring myths of suicide - for instance, that suicide is usually an impulsive act (it is almost always premeditated), or that alcohol or drugs are involved in most suicides (usually they are not).
Sure to be controversial, this book seeks to make sense of one of the most difficult-to-comprehend types of violence in modern society, shedding new light that will ultimately lead to better understanding and even prevention.
In The Perversion of Virtue, suicide researcher Thomas Joiner explores the nature of murder-suicide and offers a unique new theory to explain this nearly unexplainable act: that 'true' murder-suicides always involve the wrongheaded invocation of one of four interpersonal virtues: mercy, justice, duty, and glory. The parent who murders his child and then himself seeks to 'save' his child from a fatherless life of hardship; the wife who murders her husband and then herself seeks to right the wrongs he committed against her, and so on.
Rather than distorting these four virtues beyond recognition, murder-suicide involves the gross misperception of when and how these virtues should be applied. Drawing on case studies from the media as well as from scholarly literature, Joiner meticulously examines, deconstructs, and finally rebuilds our understanding of murder-suicide in such a way as to bring tragic reason to what may seem an unfathomable act of violence. Along the way he also dispels some of the most enduring myths of suicide - for instance, that suicide is usually an impulsive act (it is almost always premeditated), or that alcohol or drugs are involved in most suicides (usually they are not).
Sure to be controversial, this book seeks to make sense of one of the most difficult-to-comprehend types of violence in modern society, shedding new light that will ultimately lead to better understanding and even prevention.
Reviews / Votes
Joiner, currently the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Florida State University, in conjunction with selected colleages and coauthors has a very significant professional reputation for his work on the psychology of suicide.This book is of interest to many psychology students and psychology professionals working in the clinical, social, and forensic areas.
Joiner's accessibility of writing style also should attract the reading public engrossed in similar areas. This same accessibility should pull in many philosophy students and professionals, especially those working in the existential areas focused on confronting the possibilities of death and suicide as foundations of being and life's meaning.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
564 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-933455-1 (9780199334551)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
02/2014
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€24.49
Available for download

E-Book
02/2014
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€24.49
Available for download
Person
Thomas Joiner, PhD, is The Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at Florida State University (FSU), Tallahassee, Florida. Dr. Joiner's work is on the psychology, neurobiology, and treatment of suicidal behavior and related conditions. Author of over 475 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Joiner was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Residency Fellowship. He received the Young Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the Shakow Award for Early Career Achievement from the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association, the Shneidman Award for excellence in suicide research from the American Association of Suicidology, and the Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions from the American Psychological Association, as well as research grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, Department of Defense (DoD).
Author
The Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor in the Department of PsychologyThe Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Content
Preface ; Section 1: Introductory Material ; Chapter 1 Murder-Suicide: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Initial Conceptualization ; Chapter 2 Understanding Murder ; Chapter 3 Understanding Suicide ; Chapter 4 Understanding Virtue ; Section 2: Understanding Murder-Suicide as a Perversion of Virtue ; Chapter 5 A Perversion of Mercy ; Chapter 6 A Perversion of Justice ; Chapter 7 A Perversion of Duty ; Chapter 8 A Perversion of Heroic Glory ; Chapter 9 The Neighboring But Distinct Categories of Perverting Self-Control and Fate ; Section 3: Implications and Conclusions ; Chapter 10 Prevention, Clinical, and Other Real-World Applications ; Chapter 11 Conclusion: Human Nature and the Perversion of Virtue ; Notes ; References ; Index