The Rationality of Suicide

This chapter deals with whether suicide can be rational or reasonable for the person who dies on the assumption (for the most part) that death involves non-existence. It first considers whether suicide is consistent or inconsistent with other beliefs. It then examines what reasons (independent of consistency) there are for or against self-interested suicide. It explores the idea of categorical reasons whose presence or absence bear on suicide, including meaning in life and psychological connectedness. It discusses why reasons might justify but not require suicide and how the idea of parity bears on this. Finally, the chapter considers approaches to combining reasons pro and con, including aggregation of future goods and bads, whole life evaluation, and the possibility of a prudential prerogative not to maximize the good in one’s life.