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ERIC Number: EJ738620
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 10
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0748-1187
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Can Suicide Be Ethical? A Utilitarian Perspective on the Appropriateness of Choosing to Die
Feldman, David B.
Death Studies, v30 n6 p529-538 Jul-Aug 2006
In his article in the current issue of Death Studies, "Can Suicide be a Good Death?" David Lester argues that each person should determine whether suicide is appropriate for him or her in relative isolation from the opinions of others. In the present article, I use a utilitarian ethical perspective to critique this assertion. According to utilitarianism, the "goodness" of an action is judged by its impact not only on the individual, but also upon others. As such, I review research demonstrating that suicide has harmful emotional, interpersonal, and economic effects upon individuals and society. Ultimately, the rightness or wrongness of choosing to commit suicide cannot be determined in isolation from the broader consequences of this choice.
Routledge. 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Tel: 212-216-7800; Fax: 212-244-1563; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A