Suicide

[ApeNotKillApe]

I've been pondering over the idea, I started by thinking over whether or not I had justifiable reason to do so. This lead me to question what counted as a justifiable reason. I've been trying to think of a philosophical argument for suicide. No, I am not planning to do something irreversible. 

The only idea of any substance is this, which I will pose as a question. 

Could it be considered a moral action to 'opt out'? That is, could it be said that refusing to be a part of this species is a moral action?

[Thumpalumpacus]

I'm not sure how suicide has any moral relevance at all.

[Redbeard The Pink]

I've been pondering over the idea, I started by thinking over whether or not I had justifiable reason to do so. This lead me to question what counted as a justifiable reason. I've been trying to think of a philosophical argument for suicide. No, I am not planning to do something irreversible. 

The only idea of any substance is this, which I will pose as a question. 

Could it be considered a moral action to 'opt out'? That is, could it be said that refusing to take part is in some way a moral victory?

Considering that morals are pretty subjective, it's a little hard to form a concrete argument as to why suicide is morally incorrect, or describe a circumstance in which it would be a moral victory.


Objective "oughts" and "ought-nots" only arise once a person's goals are established, but by my own standards the best-case scenario for suicide is moral irrelevance, and that's only in far-fetched circumstances with a person that exists in a human vacuum, bereft of anyone who cares for him/her. In virtually every other circumstance, suicide inflicts enough human suffering for me to consider it morally reprehensible.

[robvalue]

I've spent most of the last 8 years evaluating suicide. The reason I haven't done it, the only reason most of the time, is the impact it would have on others. I considered my perceived benefit of not suffering anymore, and compared it to the upset me not being here would cause. I decided that just the damage I would do to my wife and my pets weighed in as much more significant, so I stuck it out. If I didn't have anyone who would have been affected, I would have most likely done it by now.

So to me, it is a question of morality. But I fully respect anyone's right and decision to commit suicide. No one should be forced to live if they don't want to.

I am in a better place now than I've been for the whole of that 8 years, and suicide appears much less often in my thoughts.

[Alex K]

I'm not sure how suicide has any moral relevance at all.

Through the pain you usually inflict on your surroundings?

[Thumpalumpacus]

I'm not sure how suicide has any moral relevance at all.

Through the pain you usually inflict on your surroundings?

Perhaps. But at this point relativism crops up; the hurt consider the act immoral, but the dead clearly have no opinion.

I think the OP, however, was addressing the morality of the act itself, rather than its repercussion. That is the sense in which I gave my answer.

[ApeNotKillApe]

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have posted this to begin with. I realize now I'm trying to sort through something personal, as a topic of discussion it's nonsensical.

[robvalue]

Any way we can help?

[ApeNotKillApe]

I'm having trouble with being an evil species, it's something I can't come to terms with.

[Redbeard The Pink]

We're not evil, though. Evil is a term we made up, and its definition is every bit as subjective as morality. We're also getting better over time, believe it or not. Violence in general has been on a steady decline around the globe for many years, and so have various other forms of unrest between humans. By percentage, we're more peaceful and forward-thinking than we have ever been as a species.