I am very pleased to announce that I am a scheduled speaker at the April 10 and 11, 2015 Perspectives on Death and Dying Symposium sponsored by the Institute for Science and Humanist Values. The event will be held at: Columbia University Faculty House 64 Morningside Drive New York, NY 10027 My presentation, Stay and the Secular Argument Against Suicide There are two major secular arguments against despair suicide*, the first is about what you mean to the community and the second is about what you owe to your future self. Historically people have been aware that a suicide can lead to more suicide; in a school, a town, a profession and other groups. Sociology statistics now bear out these observations. Because suicide can do fatal harm to others, it is not a morally neutral act. That means that just by persisting we are making a life-saving contribution to our community. It can be a great relief to realize that as much as you might be a burden, your suicide would be an exponentially worse burden, so you are no longer responsible for assessing your worth. As to your future self, you do not know what you will have or what you will be wise to in ten years. You owe your future self a little respect – at least don’t kill him. Dr. Hecht will describe some of the philosophical antecedents to these ideas throughout history. [*Despair suicide is defined loosely as suicide that none of your loved ones or medical caretakers would think a good idea. End of life care is an entirely different matter, should include the right to die. Of course, some cases defy immediate assessment and have to be adjudicated on their own terms.] To register for the event see: instituteforscienceandhumanvalues/articles/symposiums-conferences/symposium-columbia_B.htm
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 19:50:59 +0000
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