[lit-ideas] Re: The meaning of life





________________________________
From: Omar Kusturica <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx>
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, 27 November, 2008 6:10:10
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The meaning of life





>For Kant, our rational wills are the source of our moral duty, and it is 
>therefore a kind of practical contradiction to suppose that the same will can 
>permissibly destroy itself. Given the distinctive worth of an autonomous 
>rational will, suicide is an attack on the very source of moral authority.
To annihilate the subject of morality in one's person is to root out the 
existence of morality itself from the world as far as one can, even though 
morality is an end in itself. Consequently, disposing of oneself as a mere 
means to some discretionary end is debasing humanity in >one's person… (Kant 
423)
Two comments:-

1) While I have mixed feelings about suicide (particularly since it is often a 
"permanent solution to a temporary problem" and, irrespective of morality, an 
irrevocable _mistake_ in such circumstances) clearly - unless we define the 
suicidal as lacking "autonomous rational will" - those with autonomous rational 
will can destroy themselves - and that "will" with them. Whether this is 
permissible seems to me not something that can be decided by arguing that there 
is some kind of contradiction or paradox in their behaviour - and this is an 
example of a (typical) tendency of Kant's to attempt to prove too much. Rather 
we must look at their specific situation or the specific moral problem - that 
is, suicide might be right in some circumstances and not in others. 

Obviously this point is not intended as profound but as trying to take away the 
idea that there is something philosophically profound about the problem of 
suicide per se (as opposed to the problem of whether it is right to risks that 
might injure oneself or others [suicide often injurying others 
psychologically]). Clearly the consequences of suicide are of a magnitude 
greater than the consequences of taking a risk that might break a leg - but I 
am unsure this makes the problem more profound.

2) Wittgenstein (who lost several siblings to suicide) said, afair, that he 
thought about suicide everyday. If so, what was he getting at? That he 
contemplated it as a course of action or as a central moral problem?

Actually, there's a 3) Many suicides are tragic affairs where if, as is shown 
by those who survive an attempted suicide, the suicide had not occurred the 
person would not look back with regret at a 'missed opportunity' but rather see 
that - for whatever reason - they had temporarily come to seek a permanent 
solution to what (in hindsight) was a temporary problem. There is nothing very 
philosophical in this except perhaps that it calls on us to help others through 
these dark periods if we can.

Donal
Struggling suicidally with the new Yahoo interface
Hibernating in Salop 

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