Is Suicide Intervention Justified?

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Is suicide intervention justified?

With the abundance of suicide throughout the world, one has to wonder whether intervening in a suicide attempt is justified. There are two opposing principles on this topic, one being the principle of autonomy and the other being the principle of respect for life. There are also views that support each of these two principles such as paternalism and anti-paternalism.

In order to support the principle of autonomy, I must do three things. First, I will present the moral justifications for intervening in a suicide according to the principle of respect for life. Second, I will present the view of paternalism which supports the principle of respect for life, and also refute it with the view of anti-paternalism, supporting the principle of autonomy. Finally, I will present the moral justifications for not intervening in a suicide by presenting the principle of autonomy.

Moral justifications for intervening in a suicide The principle of respect for life.

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The major moral justifications for saving human lives attempting suicide come from the principle of respect for life. This principle states that humans should never do things to harm other humans. We should always respect human life. If a person is in a position to help prevent a suicide, they are obligated to do so. This principle gives two main reasons for siding with the respect for life when a person is suicidal. (1) In most cases, people don't really want to die, and () A person should discover the suicide's motives before letting him or her continue. Many people in fact have only a short-term desire to die and are often not thinking clearly while attempting suicide. It is also important to distinguish that if a person is mentally ill, it is morally justifiable to intervene in their suicide attempt. Another good example looked at by the respect for life principle is a retributive suicide, or violent suicide. The principle states that humans in general are more likely to act on the respect for human life than act on the respect of human autonomy. John Stuart Mill placed himself in the middle of this argument. His view held that it is okay to intervene in a suicide in order to be sure a person is acting intentionally and rationally with knowledge of their consequences. But once informed, we should let the person be free to do what he or she wishes.# It can be argued that using the respect for life principle generates a sense of community and caring, while using the autonomy principle generates a sense of indifference.

Paternalism versus anti-paternalism

One could justify intervening in a suicide attempt using paternalism. In order to explain paternalism, I must first define it. Paternalism is interference with someone's freedom for that person's own good. People use paternalism to justify intervening when the person attempting suicide is rational and competent. Paternalism is used to protect the person from three things, (1) extremely and unreasonably risky actions, () actions that are contrary to the person's best known interests, and () actions that are potentially dangerous and irreversible.# Therefore, when arguing for the respect for life, one can cite that there are many things done in our society for a person's own good. Stopping a suicide would be something done to protect people for their own good, much like the examples of medicine and seat belts in society.

There are limits to paternalism however. Using paternalism seems to be both coercive and forceful. John Stuart Mill argues that each person is the best judge of his or her own best interest. He also argues that since paternalism is coercive, the only good that comes from it is temporary.# The anti-paternalistic view held here is saying that when using paternalism one is taking away all the rights which make up a person's autonomy. Coercing or forcing a person to conform is against many moral philosophies and should therefore not be used when philosophically determining the validity of intervening in suicide attempts.

Moral Justifications for not intervening in a suicide The principle of autonomy

Forcing views on another person is wrong, and therefore one should agree with the principle of autonomy. The principle of autonomy states simply that people have the freedom to choose, and therefore, can decide for themselves whether or not they want to end their lives. There must be a very important distinction made in order to hold this view however. The only way it is acceptable to let a person decide for themselves is if they are making an autonomous and rational decision to end their lives. In the case of mentally ill people, or retributive suicides, there are in fact moral justifications for intervening. To kill oneself in a vengeful way would be to undermine one's own dignity, therefore making suicide unacceptable. But these are the only cases where it is morally justifiable to intervene in a suicide. If one is committing suicide because further life would compromise one's dignity, then it is morally justifiable to let them do so. In essence, there must be good, rational, and logical reasons to justify the suicide of a person. In these cases it is okay, but one must also take into account the many ways in which a person's suicide is not justified. These cases were presented above, but there is still greater evidence to show that it is morally better to let people have the freedom to choose whether or not they want to live.

With the many differing opinions on the matter it is easy to see where one could get confused. One has to see however, that interfering in the autonomy of a human being is morally unacceptable. Unless a suicide is an act of revenge, hate, violence, or mental incapacity, there is no need to intervene. Truly rational people have the absolute right to make their own decisions, no matter what.

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