Suicide Under Certain Conditions, Research Paper Example

While many governments around the world state that suicide is an illegal act, it is important to consider that this belief is based primarily on Judeo-Christian religious values. As a consequence, there are many cultures around the world that consider suicide to be a noble act. Ultimately, then, suicide can be defined as acceptable or unacceptable depending upon the culture from which one derives. For example, suicide is considered to be a cowardly act in the United States due to the common belief that one does not have the power to take away God’s gift of life. On the other hand, it can be considered an act of bravery in the right context. For example, it was a high honor to give one’s life in battle in Classic Rome (Watt, 2004).

Different cultures are entitled to their opinions of suicide, although cultures that believe that this act is unacceptable have no right to impose their opinions on individuals that have other societal values. There are many examples in which it is ethical to commit suicide that the Western tradition tends avoid when considering this dilemma. For example, assisted suicide is important to consider for individuals that are suffering from chronic diseases with no hope of being cured. Even in some American states, certain forms of assisted suicide have been approved (Marker, 2009). In addition, individuals that enter combat around the world are doing so with knowledge that they may lose their lives to support their country and their belief system. In a sense, this can be defined as suicide, but many would agree that losing one’s life in battle to support others is an admirable action.

Ultimately, ethics require the action taken to be the one that benefits the most people. It is necessary to consider therefore, that suicide primarily impacts oneself. In many cases, an act of suicide is one that can lead to the least amount of pain for the greatest amount of people, which is what governments should strive for. While it is important to ensure that people are not taking their own lives needlessly, it is important to consider the potential positive outcomes of their choice to do so.

References

Marker, Rita L. (2009). Assisted Suicide: The Continuing Debate. International Task Force, 1- 18.

Watt, Jeffrey Rodgers. (2004) From Sin to Insanity: Suicide in Early Modern Europe. Cornell   University Press.