The meaning and the morality of suicide

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2003

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Ünver, Gaye

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The aim of this study is to examine the meaning and the morality of suicide through the history of philosophy. To this aim, firstly, the historical evaluation of the concept of suicide is explained in detail. The effects of sociological and the religious transformations on the meaning of suicide are analyzed. Afterwards, the moral theories about suicide are discussed. The anti-suicide arguments about suicide in the history of philosophy are classified under three parts mainly. These anti-suicide arguments ا that suicide is a violation of our duties to God, to the society and to the self ا are handled and explained in detail with their counter arguments. Then, the problem of the permissibility of suicide is analyzed and whether suicide is morally permitted under some conditions or it is absolutely forbidden is discussed. Next, the philosophical meaning of suicide in literature is investigated by analyzing the meanings that are given to suicide by Dante iv and Dostoevsky. In the conclusion, a brief summary is given, and the moral theories about suicide are criticized.

Subject Keywords

Suicide, Morality, Meaning, Permissibility, God, Society, Nature, Self, Freedom, Free Will, Sin, Duty, Immortality

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/107533/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/13955

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Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis

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Citation Formats

G. Ünver, “The meaning and the morality of suicide,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2003.