Description
Book SynopsisSuicide was selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2012!
Suicide: The Philosophical Dimensions is a provocative and comprehensive investigation of the main philosophical issues surrounding suicide. Readers will encounter seminal arguments concerning the nature of suicide and its moral permissibility, the duty to die, the rationality of suicide, and the ethics of suicide intervention. Intended both for students and for seasoned scholars, this book sheds much-needed philosophical light on one of the most puzzling and enigmatic human behaviors.
Trade Review“This outstanding example of contemporary applied ethics also represents state-of-the-art philosophical thought on suicide. … [Suicide is a] well-written, rigorously argued book [that] will be very valuable for courses and programs in applied ethics, health care ethics, and death and dying.” — R.F. White, College of Mount St. Joseph in CHOICE Volume 49.7, March 2012
“Michael Cholbi’s Suicide: The Philosophical Dimensions is a well-written, thoughtful introduction to a sensitive and perennial moral issue. The work is a valuable tool to undergraduates and those seeking to understand the standard positions on suicide that will continue to influence ethical discussions about, among other things, what the definition of suicide is, whether the taking of one’s own life is permissible, and if suicide can be a duty under any set of circumstances.” — Dennis Cooley, North Dakota State University
“This is a philosophers’ book, full of twists and turns and exhaustive examination of arguments on all sides of the issue. The book is remarkably sensible in its exploration of conceptual issues, with a good ear for inquiry. Cholbi dissects the arguments over mind/body dualism, the non-identity problem, the claim that “life is a gift from God,” and the question of whether suicide is ever a duty, among many others, with meticulous care. It is a fine book, an extraordinary contribution to the philosophic discussion of a seriously overheated issue.” — Margaret Pabst Battin, University of Utah
Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE: THE NATURE OF SUICIDE
- Some Examples
What Should a Definition of Suicide Capture?
Suicide as Intentional Self-killing
Can Suicide Be Coerced?
Conclusion
CHAPTER TWO: THE MORAL IMPERMISSIBILITY OF SUICIDE
- Christian Arguments for the Impermissibility of Suicide
Non-religious Arguments for the Impermissibility of Suicide
Conclusion
CHAPTER THREE: THE MORAL PERMISSIBILITY OF SUICIDE
- Must a Permission Be Justified?
Self-defense
Self-knowledge
Self-ownership
Autonomy and Rationality
Conclusion
CHAPTER FOUR: IS SUICIDE EVER A DUTY?
- Clarifying a “Duty to Die”
Suicide in the Service of a Political or Religious Cause
Suicide Ordered by the State
Suicide to Unburden Others
Suicide to Prevent the Deaths of Others
Conclusion
CHAPTER FIVE: SUICIDE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION
- Benign vs. Problematic Measures
Why Prevent or Intervene?
The Paternalism Objection
Morally Permissible Anti-suicide Measures
Availability of Lethal Means
Conclusion
CHAPTER SIX: ASSISTED SUICIDE
- A Duty to Assist Suicide?
Physician-assisted Suicide
Aiding Suicide and the Slippery Slope
Costs, Benefits, and Institutional Design
Conclusion
EPILOGUE: WHY?
CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
