“The Perversion of Virtue” by Thomas Joiner

A new book, “The Perversion of Virtue” by Thomas Joiner, MSRC Co-Director and Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Florida State University was recently published by Oxford University Press.

The book offers a new theory of murder-suicide: That all genuine murder-suicides begin with the decision to die by suicide; that the decision to die then grows through a perversion of virtue into the belief that one’s own death requires the death of at least one other person; and that the virtues perverted in murder-suicide are always mercy, justice, glory, or duty. If it is true that suicide is always primary in murder-suicide, then all that we know and do regarding suicide prevention should also hold regarding the prevention of murder-suicide.

For speaking events, colloquia, grand rounds on mental health topics or other types of presentations on this book’s material, you can contact Dr. Joiner at joiner@psy.fsu.edu. The book is available through usual outlets like Amazon.

Order "The Perversion of Virtue” by Thomas Joiner

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