A Reworking of Durkheim's Suicide

Abstract

In this paper the text of Durkheim's Suicide is worked upon with concepts developed from a consideration of his discussion of the ‘forced division of labour.’. First Durkheim's category of ‘fatalistic’ suicide is analyzed in light of recent discussions of ‘fatalism’ and shown to be incoherent, produced by the suppression, displacement and condensation of other concepts. These considerations lead to reanalysis of Suicide, of the arguments and themes implicit within it. The text is treated as not so much an exploration of social pathology but a a resource to begin to develop an account of some of the conditions of existence of ‘rational’ individuals and their relationship to one form of arguably rational social order 1 1In the long period when these arguments weregestating many people played a part in their development. I am particularly grateful to Elaine Stavro, Ian Craib, Tony Woodiwiss, Ted Benton, Mike Gane, Jim Dickinson and Paul Hirst and to Andy Roberts for first demonstrating to,me the absurdity of the conventional dimissive characterisation of Durkheim as a positivist and reactionary. Any inadequacies in the paper are, of course, my responsibility alone. .