Thomas Aquinas: The Question Of The Rightness Or Wrongness Of Suicide

The question of the rightness or wrongness of suicide is a challenging question to answer. Some countries see suicide as an honorable death, such as seppuku in the Japanese culture, while western cultures have a vastly different perspective on this topic. I personally categorize suicide as a permanent solution to a potentially temporary problem, but not a wrongful act. During the time Thomas Aquinas wrote about suicide it was not generally considered wrong or misguided, however, Aquinas regarded suicide as a wrongful act and felt it should be avoided. Thomas Aquinas’s has three arguments that will be examined in the following paragraphs.

Aquinas’s first argument states: “murder is a sin, not only because it is contrary to justice, but also

This argument can quickly be viewed as false when one thinks about a person that causes a great nuisance in the community, such as a serial killer or rapist. The community would want the individual imprisoned at the very minimum and the idea that they would want them dead would not be far-fetched, especially if they caused great personal harm. From the utilitarianism stand point it would be beneficial if the murderer or rapist committed suicide. This ultimate opt-out could be the most the most beneficial for the individual and community. The individual that committed the heinous crimes, such as rape or murder, especially if it was towards a child, would face serious punishments from the prison community. This is because those who molest or murder children are viewed as the lowest of the low in the prison community and will be harmed if any opportunity is seen by another inmate. So, by allowing suicide, it will allow the murderer or rapist to take his or her own life rather than the community taking it without the opinion on how the act is completed for them. David Hume agrees that one who has committed a great harm should remove themselves from the community. “Suppose, that my life hinders some person from being much more useful to the public. In such my registration from life must not be only innocent but laudable” (Hume

This argument is invalid because it does not provide a sturdy platform for debating the topic. The taking of one’s life poses a greater evil upon themselves to escape the troubles of life according to Aquinas (303). Also, not everyone has the same personal beliefs when it comes to religion or lack of religion. For example, the Vietnamese Mahayana monk that burned himself alive, self-immolation, for religious protest must have believed his suicided was justified. I do not believe he would have conducted self-immolation if he did not see the possibility to pass on to the afterlife or be reincarnated into a respected animal or