Suicide By Arthur Schopenhauer: Meaning And Purpose Of Life

Philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer’s thoughts On Suicide, states that “…though it is obvious there is nothing in the world a man has a more incontestable right to than his own life and person” (77). People take their lives for many reasons, whether it be illness, depression, or, surprisingly, for the well-being of others. The meaning and purpose of life is subjective. Some humans value life more than others. If a person does not value life as much, why should they be subjected to continue living? Humans have the ability to reason, and a person can reason if life is worth living or not using the concept of free will. Suicide is a basic human right because a person has the free will to do what they want with their life and if they want to end

If a person decides to take their own life, then that is their choice, even if the choice is perceived as a bad one. As Schopenhauer said, if there is one thing a person is sure to own, it is their life. People chose to better their lives by exercising, eating healthy, traveling, etc., and that is their choice. Some people decide ruin their lives with drug and alcohol use, abusing others, etc., and that is their choice. If someone were to stop a person from committing suicide, then that would be infringing on that person’s free will to die. As long as we are not interfering with the free will of others, suicide should be a

In ancient Japanese culture, it is a ritual, when lost to the enemy, for a samurai to commit seppuku. Seppuku is one’s own disembowelment, then a second man, a kaishakunin, chops off the head (Andrews). This is a form of suicide. From a Western point of view, this method seems a bit dramatic and cruel, but to them, this is how they express themselves and they have to right to do so. Another case is about a Saigon Buddhist named Thích Quảng Đức, who performed a suicide protest against the repressive regime of Catholic Ngo Dinh Diem, where Buddhists were forced to convert to Catholoisim and killed those who protested against them (Associated Press). To protest, he poured gasoline on him and set himself on fire. Astonishingly, Đức remained calm and poised despite most likey being in immense pain. Đức fought against an oppressive and violent regime and requested that the government make sacrfices for Buddhists just as Đức scarificed his life for Buddhists (Tang).

One reason that suicide is not human right because there are ways to improve life and suicide will not improve one’s wellbeing. People who consider/commit suicide think that they are suffering and their lives won’t get better. In Buddhism, there are the “Four Nobel