This book aims to address in a novel way some of the fundamental philosophical questions concerning suicide. Focusing on four major authors of Western philosophy – Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein – their arguments in favour or against suicide are explained, contextualized, examined and critically assessed. Taken together, these four perspectives provide an illuminating overview of the philosophical arguments that can be used for or against one’s right to commit suicide. Intended both for specialists and those interested in understanding the many complexities underlying the philosophical debate on suicide, this book combines philosophical depth with exemplary clarity.
Table of Content
Chapter 1: Introduction: Bringing Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein Together.- Chapter 2: Immanuel Kant. The Moral Duty of Self-Preservation.- Chapter 3: Arthur Schopenhauer. The Metaphysical Futility of Suicide.- Chapter 4: Friedrich Nietzsche. A Free Death at the Right Time.- Chapter 5: Ludwig Wittgenstein. Suicide as the Elementary Sin.- Chapter 6: Conclusion: What Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein Can Teach Us about Suicide.
About the author
Paolo Stellino is Researcher at the Nova Institute of Philosophy, New University of Lisbon, Portugal. His main fields of research interest are the history of 19th and 20th century philosophy, ethics, and philosophy of cinema. He has published many articles in international peer-reviewed journals and has authored several book chapters. He is the author of the book
Nietzsche and Dostoevsky: On the Verge of Nihilism (2015).
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