Moral Issue of Suicide PDF

***[Greek and Romans]*** - Both defended and condemned suicide ***[Socrates]*** - Property of God ------------- **SUICIDE** ------------- - Act of cowardice and offence against state - Self-killing, Gods will bring anger ***[Exceptions]*** 1. Extreme distress 2. Turn of fort...

***[Greek and Romans]*** - Both defended and condemned suicide ***[Socrates]*** - Property of God ------------- **SUICIDE** ------------- - Act of cowardice and offence against state - Self-killing, Gods will bring anger ***[Exceptions]*** 1. Extreme distress 2. Turn of fortune 3. Extraordinary sorrow - Epicurus -- if life pleasure and pleasant life ceases, then you can terminate it - Lucius Seneca -- escape from suffering and from decay of old age --------------------------------------------------- **BIBLE IS LIKE WISE REPLETE WITH SUICIDE CASES** --------------------------------------------------- ***[Samson and Delilah]*** - Chose to die with his enemies after they plucked out his eyes - Philistines celebrating samsons defeat - Samson wrecked down 2 pillars of the house and fell it upon them all - Samson able to die with dignity, avenging foes rather than living in darkness of defeat ***[Judas Iscariot]*** - Betrayed Jesus preferred to commit suicide by hanging himself rather than to be alive forever haunted by his betrayal against Jesus ----------------------------------- **MEANING AND CAUSES OF SUICIDE** ----------------------------------- - Direct -- killing oneself - Willful -- deliberate, voluntary, and intentional - Destructive -- terminating one's own life ***[Suicide vs Euthanasia]*** - It overlaps but there's several differences: 1. Euthanasia - For medical reasons or easy or painless death - Incurable ailment, terminal condition 2. Suicide - Destructive and violent termination of life - Healthy physical condition - Great loss in business venture ***[Meaning of Suicide]*** - Act of self-destruction, no longer regards life worth living - Kamikaze Pilot: - WW1, suicide was heroic act of sacrifice for their own country - Japanese Shintoist: - Died for one's country became one of the deities - Explains unconditional readiness and willingness of Japanese soldiers to die for their country during war (Harakiri) - Their spirits can help defend their land and external aggressors - RC Irishmen and Buddhist: - Suicided through self-starvation to achieve political objectives - Buddhist Monks: - Burned themselves to death in protest against tyranny of Vietnam ***[Causes of Suicide]*** - Personal: - Misfortune, frustrations in love or marriage - Apathy of partners - In law problems - Failure in examination - Loss of honor, dignity, rape, or incest - Nervous breakdown - Financial: - Poverty - Collapse in business venture - Social and Political: - Bullying - Social Scandal ------------------------------ **PROS AND CONS OF SUICIDE** ------------------------------ ***[Cons of Suicide:]*** 1. Crime 2. Soul is from God, suicide is contrary to divine will, and act of wickedness 3. Deprives opportunity to repent 4. Escape the ills of life, cowardness ***[Pro of Suicide:]*** 1. Excusable and permissible to terrible pain, agony, misery 2. Fear of suffering is worse than death itself 3. John Donne -- criticized Christian prohibition of suicide, capitalist exploits and oppress laborers - Part of economic enslavesment of laborers - Suicide means of liberating from exploitation and oppression ------------------------------------------------ **APPLICATION OF ETHICAL THEORIES IN SUICIDE** ------------------------------------------------ 1. Natural Law Ethics - Principle of stewardship, suicide is murder - No right to murder himself - Only HA Dominion over a thing has the right to destroy it, for it's a gift to him - We can never purchase life from anyone or to God - We are just steward or caretaker 2. Utilitarian Principle - My deliberate terminate life when suffering becomes too much to bear - Financial burden and liability due to prolonged incurable disease, suicide is morally illigitimate 3. Kants Ethics - Advocates of autonomy - Rational being, self-regulating - To die with dignity