Give an account of the ethical arguments in support of suicide.

Furthermore, Hume was another writer who believed that suicide could be ethically justified. He wrote, “a man who retires from life does no harm to society: he only ceases to do good.” David Hume was attempting to refute the idea that suicide was a sin against God. Hume argues that suicide is no more a rebellion against God than is saving the life of someone who would otherwise die, or changing the position of anything in one's surroundings. Hume claims that suicide can be compared to retiring from society and becoming a total recluse, which is not normally considered to be immoral, although the comparison would not seem to justify a suicide that leaves in its wake children or dependents who are thereby rendered vulnerable. As for duty to self, Hume takes it to be obvious that there can be times when suicide is desirable, though he also thinks it ridiculous that anyone would consider suicide unless they first considered every other option.

Freud claims that our psyche develops in three stages: firstly, the id is the instinct to satisfy our basic needs and desires, such as a newborn baby that cries for food; secondly, the ego is when we become more aware of others around us and finally, the super ego is when our conscience develops from social attitudes or personal experience. Freud claimed that we all have a death drive and that our ego may not be able to cope with negative experiences such as guilt and we may self-destruct. In terms of morality, suicide is not an act of free will, and therefore the person that takes their own life cannot be held responsible for their actions.

Furthermore, altruistic suicide could be a courageous and selfless act, in line with both utilitarianism and situation ethics. For example, falling on a grenade refers to the deliberate act of using one's body to cover a live time-fused hand grenade, absorbing the explosion and fragmentation in an effort to save the lives of others nearby. Since this is almost universally fatal, it is considered an especially conspicuous and selfless act of individual sacrifice in wartime; in United States military history, more citations for the Medal of Honour have been awarded for falling on grenades to save comrades than any other single act. This is utilitarian because it ensures the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people, and is also reconcilable with situation ethics because in that situation it is the most loving course of action.

Finally, suicide can an escape from personal illness, be it physical or mental. It can be a more dignified and controllable exit from this life than the alternatives. When an ill person is unable to kill themselves, this is when the debate surrounding euthanasia or existed suicide begins. Assisted suicide could be considered moral for the same reasons that ‘normal’ suicide would be: the exercise of personal autonomy and the relief of suffering. There is little to be gained from keeping someone alive when they are dependent on machines to carry out basic functions. Keeping someone alive against their will could be considered torture.

Overall, suicide is a complex moral choice that should never be taken lightly. It would only be ethically permissible if all other options had been exhausted. To quote Peter Singer, we should have, “respect for a person’s desire to live or die.”