Hume's Ethics on the Acceptability of Suicide in the Modern World
Faculty Mentor
Kevin Decker and Christopher Kirby
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
10-5-2023 10:20 AM
End Date
10-5-2023 10:40 AM
Location
PUB 323
Department
Philosophy
Abstract
Suicide and euthanasia remain hotly debated topics in the United States and across the globe. The purpose of this research is to incorporate the arguments outlined by David Hume in one of his later philosophic works, “On Suicide”, to the greater academic contemporary debate on euthanasia and suicide in general. This work was done by means of peer reviewed academic research, containing both journal articles and published books. These both serve to incorporate a variety of intellectual voices into this conversation, including but not limited to the: cultural, psychological, political and religious implications of suicide. The Humean argument for the legitimacy of suicide (insofar as it is up to the individual to determine) aligns and dissents uniquely with each of these perspectives, but generally does not consort with most modern thinkers. However, his argument still holds value as it provides valuable insight into the preconceived ideas of suicide held by many, and the liberty we all have in our individual action. Altogether, this paper aims to contrast the autonomy held by individuals, as advanced by Hume, with the inherent value of human life.
Recommended Citation
Zagar, Luke, "Hume's Ethics on the Acceptability of Suicide in the Modern World" (2023). 2023 Symposium. 3.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2023/res_2023/os4_2023/3
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Hume's Ethics on the Acceptability of Suicide in the Modern World
PUB 323
Suicide and euthanasia remain hotly debated topics in the United States and across the globe. The purpose of this research is to incorporate the arguments outlined by David Hume in one of his later philosophic works, “On Suicide”, to the greater academic contemporary debate on euthanasia and suicide in general. This work was done by means of peer reviewed academic research, containing both journal articles and published books. These both serve to incorporate a variety of intellectual voices into this conversation, including but not limited to the: cultural, psychological, political and religious implications of suicide. The Humean argument for the legitimacy of suicide (insofar as it is up to the individual to determine) aligns and dissents uniquely with each of these perspectives, but generally does not consort with most modern thinkers. However, his argument still holds value as it provides valuable insight into the preconceived ideas of suicide held by many, and the liberty we all have in our individual action. Altogether, this paper aims to contrast the autonomy held by individuals, as advanced by Hume, with the inherent value of human life.
