Why Is Suicide Wrong - Philosophy

Why Suicide is Wrong

The merriam-webster definition of suicide is the act or instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally. Religiously, the act is a sin; therefore, Kant and deontology would agree that the act of selfishly taking your life, against God’s will, is forbidden. The categorical imperative, the Kantian view, would say how if an act cannot be universalized, it is not morally okay. Meaning, that if one person kills themselves, can everyone go around killing themselves just because the act is dependent on self-absorbed reasons? That’s mass genocide, and it is obviously frowned upon based throughout history. Anyone who has ever come across thoughts of suicide, or even acted on those thoughts, only want themselves to be the issue at hand. Using the “your family and friends would be devastated” usually adjusts the reason to think about ending their life; my point, is that suicide can not be universalized in how our world works today because the people who consider it would then hold many other lives on their shoulders too. The person attempting is not an exception to the universalization principle, and is wrong as a moral act all together. This act, despite the consequences (good or bad), is acted with it’s reasons depending on self judgement; representing, how it is a defining selfish act, and goes against deontology.

Even in utilitarianism, with Mill, suicide is wrong. Consequences matter the most, and an act like suicide causes consequences. Of course, what is obligatory is what maximizes the good, the happiness, and the wisdom. Although, even if suicide would make the person committing it happy, the utiles overall wont add up. Killing is wrong; it makes more people upset than happy if someone kills themselves, it is human nature. Morally, killing yourself will do more harm than dealing with life the way it is, the sole test of right and wrong are the consequences. However, it