[lit-ideas] Re: The meaning of life
- From: Omar Kusturica <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:50:56 -0800 (PST)
--- On Fri, 11/28/08, Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The meaning of life
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Friday, November 28, 2008, 10:33 AM
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.
O.K. I believe that it is an interesting philosophical problem, regardless of
whether we perceive it as a serious practical option. In the above discussion,
the key term is 'practical contradiction,' i.e. it is not suggested that
suicide is a practical impossibility obviously, but that it is morally
impermissible because self-contradictory. I can see how there is a form of
self-contradiction or
paradox involved in an action which is meant to destroy its doer; to conclude
from this that this renders it morally impermissible is perhaps to conclude too
much. Homicide or destruction of property is not seemingly self-contradictory
in the same way, yet this does not render it morally permissible.
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]).
O.K. I am not sure how this is different except that it rephrases the issue in
more general or more inclusive terms. But to my mind, there is a clear
difference between suicide and homicide, or other violent actions that are not
directed towards the self.
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?
O.K. Perhaps both.
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.
O.K. That's where the discussion strays in the direction of psychology or
psychotherapy, which also have an interest in sucide but of a different kind.
As the task of a psychotherapist is currently defined, she has a duty to
prevent suicide if she can, not to make judgements on whether it is morally
permissible or prudent. The evidence you allude to is not incontroversible;
fist, we have only testimonies from those who survived suicide attempts, and
second, quite a few of them repeat the attempt. Also, even though the article I
referenced links suicide to clinical depression, there have been cases of
persons who committed or attempted sucide after they started taking
anti-depressants (not before). To commit suicide requires an active effort
(it's not that easy to do it technically) and it seems that it is often
accompanied by self-reflection and deliberation.
O.K.
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