Friday, February 25, 2005

Suicide as a Matter of Style

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Given that there are actually 'styles of dying' I would like to address the concept of suicide. I am in favor of suicide. I see suicide as the ultimate statement of life-style. I am in favor of suicide. I see suicide as the old man's (women's) ultimate contribution to society: they are in their last throes and they choose to terminate that natural process of dying in their own interests and in the interests of the culture which has been so kind to them: they repay a debt. They know that Nature has no conscience, and so they intend to inform Nature with a conscience, at least in the Human Arena, at least in their particular case. I applaud that.

But it seems to me that suicide should never be used as a 'last weapon' against some person who has disappointed the suicider. Such an act violates the principle of reciprocity and therefore is inherently evil. It seems to me that sometimes suicide in justifiable. Not only that: it seems to me that suicide becomes at some point a matter of style. I would go further to say that in my opinion there are theoretical scenerios where suicide is obligatory.