A Buddhist monk confronts Japan’s suicide culture (2013) • Hacker News Board

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan’s suicide culture (2013)

#181

Post by philwelch » Sat, Aug 02, 2014, 6:57 AM UTC

jqm wrote: post #180

philwelch wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A death sentence isn't exactly a "suggestion", and by "he could have left" you mean "he could have escaped but chose not to". (I believe this is the premise of Crito ).

Not to beat a dead horse... but he drank the poison. He wasn't killed, he took his own life. There was an alternative in which he lived, but which he refused. But all this is getting off the point. Honorable suicide was a custom in more than ancient Japan.

So where? Because Socrates was sentenced to death; his death was not a suicide.

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan’s suicide culture (2013)

#182

Post by jqm » Sat, Aug 02, 2014, 10:57 AM UTC

philwelch wrote: post #181

jqm wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to beat a dead horse... but he drank the poison. He wasn't killed, he took his own life. There was an alternative in which he lived, but which he refused. But all this is getting off the point. Honorable suicide was a custom in more than ancient Japan.

So where? Because Socrates was sentenced to death; his death was not a suicide.

If you read the accounts escape would have been quite easy. His followers urge Socrates to leave and agree to help him (he had no small amount of supporters). But he says no.

When you kill yourself, even if the government has told you that you have to, it's suicide.

The same argument you are making that it is not a suicide could apply to ancient Japan as well.

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan’s suicide culture (2013)

#183

Post by coldtea » Sun, Aug 03, 2014, 10:26 PM UTC

lmm wrote: post #155

coldtea wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Our hunting-gathering days are over. We used to chop down wood for the fire; now, we go to work, and push a button on the wall to stay warm. Well, billions of people still chop down wood for the fire. Including tons of people in the west -- in villages in eastern europe for example.

> people in the west -- in villages in eastern europe Um...

There's an "east coast" in the USA. Maybe that's not "west" enough for you too?