The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-06
THE ETHICS OF SUICIDE
PROF ADLER's LECTURE BEFORE THl
SCHOOL OF ETHICAL CULTURE

Csses where Suicide 10 Cowardiy an,
where u May lie Justianbie-A womsnr
Honor More Precious thnn Life-Th,
Invsid. whose Case IL Hopeless, Shouit
He Permitt-d to Depart In Peace.
PLYMOUTH. Mass. Aug. 5.--Prof. hdler's leo
ture on tho ethics Of suicide was tho mos
striking address tn which tho School OF E,hica
Culture has yet listened Tho Professor. aftei
referring to the annual increase in the number
OF persons who commit sclf-murder. said:
1T would be interesting 10 Investigate the
causes OF this increase. TO consider Tho rela.
lions snbssting between the increase OF d.
vorce and the incrcase OF suicide. and TO in.
Guire into those pathological conditions o:
modern society. OF which both the above phe.
nomena are manifestations. But IL is the OBJ
ject OF this lecture to consider tho ethics OF the
question. not It's causes. Conceive In tmaRi.
nation a man who Is standing on tho brink
who is about to take his destiny into his own
hands, about to extinguish his own life 1t 10
to I've considered whether. undcr any circum.
stan CO.. he Ia justified in doing 40. 1t may be
objected that this ia NOT a fit subject to he dis
cussed with pupils Of 10 or IA years OF age
such pupils are not yet tempted in this
particu nr way. The reply is. neither are
such pupils tempted to murder. except In
the rarest possible instances: yet at this age
they axe made &C Iuainted with the command.
ment, Thou shnlt not Kill Equally they
should DO taught Thou shalt not commit
suicide He who cuts Off his existence de.
prives himself forever Of all the various enjoy.
ments which yet may te In store for him. Very
often in moments OF deep depression. the
whole world locks black and his situxti On ut.
tery hureless. But 1t is to be remembered
that suicide is final. and suffering often tom:
porRry. This is an obvious reason against
hiking a step which cannot be recalled.
But 1t Is also superficial reason which
does. not lit the moro irving situations
In which human beings are sometimes placed.
OF prosperity is us complete as it il sudden.
whore he hope OF recovering lost ground Is
S nran IT ss
light OF happiness. Is a person who suffers
such blow. jus!,ied in committing suicide?
wealth must begin again NJ the bottom: must
labor to ;SpYpport MS tamly howeyer narrowly:
their hard fate without HI assistance. and. OF
BY sioen, end would t b. to them I sre as
iover who has lost his bride has still work to
Iroi: Adler said that he did not wish to be
understood ,, ns !. assert ng that the taking OF
titled though no. !; It need 5ct be too haIshIy
ihe sense q lost honor. put lie Conduct Q!
that courageous girl OF whom It is reported
that she strangled herself with her hair in
order TO ESCAPE the last infamy not lie too
highly commended. In this case honor. in tho
moral sense. was mt stake. AMI there was
no other ext! open. and honor is more
eide might also be permissible. though here
cate ground. and spoke subject to correction,
He tho ght that the chronic Invalid should
hold out az long "a there is The slightest chance
of recovery. rs long a. the pain is not 80 in.
tense and 80 continuous rs to "ccupv the On.
tire attention OF the sufferer. But why
should not the sufferer DO unbound,
that the aGones should be >, ended
denart In peace? 1t has been objected to this
view tina: remedy may be discovered at any
moment. This is nossible. hut extremely Inn
pellet to act according to the balan nee II probs-
biities Nor will the stimu!us t. discover .
remedy. as some fear. be the less keen II this
opinion becomes general. The signs OF suffer-
ing may be an incentive to search for means
OF curing disease. but the actual loss Of friends
vii! be- assuredly no less urgent incentive.
1T should he added."' said Prot. Adler that
ifthis Idea were carried out the following pro-
cautions would be sufficient: An official hody
DESIGNATED by the, State. consisting, say Of
three Judges OF the Supreme Court and of
three eminent rhysicians., should ba sum.
moned In every case to the bedside Of the sui;
the opinion that there is no reason able hope Of
recovery the patient should be allowed to re-
cefve the cup OF relief Mt the hands Of HIS At
tending physician. Some such device as this
was suggested more than three hundred years
ago by Sir Thomas More in his Utopia"