1st Edition
Exploring Suicidal Ambivalence Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives
This volume offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary exploration of ambivalence in suicidal agency, a phenomenon that, despite its significance in clinical psychology, remains under-conceptualized.
Philosophers debate what ambivalence amounts to and whether ambivalence undermines practical rationality and agency, yet this discourse has rarely been applied to suicidal ambivalence. This volume examines the structural features of ambivalence in suicidal individuals, focusing, among other things, on the conflicting desires to end one's life versus the desire to live. By analyzing these opposing mental states, it clarifies the psychological and philosophical dimensions of ambivalence and its impact on the transition from suicidal ideation to action. Additionally, it critically evaluates whether ambivalence reflects diminished rationality and whether suicidal ambivalence potentially justifies paternalistic interventions. Bridging psychology and philosophy, this volume provides a nuanced understanding of ambivalence in suicidal agency, with significant implications for clinical practice and ethical decision-making.
Exploring Suicidal Ambivalence will appeal to researchers and graduate students working in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, clinical psychology, medical ethics, and psychiatry.
Introduction: The Relevance of Ambivalence in Suicidal Behavior René Baston and Martin Weichold
Part 1: The Basics
1. Psychological Perspectives on Suicidal Ambivalence Tobias Teismann, René Baston and Thomas Forkmann
2. Philosophical Perspectives on Suicidal Ambivalence René Baston and Sanja Dembić
3. Ambivalence: Some Conceptual Distinctions Martin Weichold and Friedrich Hausen
Part 2: Explaining Suicidal Ambivalence
4. Understanding Suicide, Acting for Reasons, and Ambivalence Lieke Asma
5. The Ambivalence Model of Suicidality Tobias Teismann, Peter C. Britton and Thomas Forkmann
6. Competing Motives and Forces: A Complex Systems View of Suicidal Ambivalence Craig J. Bryan and Melanie Bozzay
7. Situated Suicidality: Taking the Environment Seriously Zuzanna Rucińska, Lieke Asma and Sabrina Coninx
Part 3: The Value of Ambivalence
8. The Benefits of Ambivalence and the Context of Suicide Intervention Elizabeth Ventham and Sabrina Coninx
9. Unmastered Ambivalence Friedrich Hausen and Martin Weichold
10. Circles of Thought: When Ambivalence Threatens Our Agency Sanja Dembić
Part 4: Ethical Implications of Suicidal Ambivalence
11. Ambivalence and Paternalistic Suicide Prevention Michael Cholbi
12. Ambivalence and Medical Aid in Dying Brent M. Kious
Biography
René Baston is a research fellow at TU Dortmund. He has held positions in Bochum, Düsseldorf, Arizona, Edinburgh, and Boulder. His research focuses on philosophy of mind and psychology, especially suicidology. His dissertation was published as Implizite Vorurteile – Wie unbewusster Rassismus unser Denken begleitet (2020).
Martin Weichold is Lecturer in Practical Philosophy at TU Dresden. He previously researched at Göttingen, Berkeley, Vienna, and Regensburg. His work explores links between philosophy of psychology and ethics. His book publications include Zwischen Reflex und Reflexion (2015) and The Autonomous Individual: A Praxeological Enactivist Account (2024).
“This volume brings together important latest research from philosophy and psychology on a topic of significant practical relevance. Highly recommended to researchers, practitioners, and postgraduate students dealing with questions related to suicidality.”
Jukka Varelius, University of Turku, Finland
