Assisting suicide: notes on the morphology of the “last relationship”

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Abstract

This text focuses on the encounter and the relationship between a person who wants to commit suicide and a potential suicide enabler from a relational epistemological perspective. With its fundamental approach, it is hitherto unique. It stresses the freedom and subjectivity of both, but above all the potential of their relationship as interaction and dialogue. Suicide enablers are by no means mere instruments of a person who wants to commit suicide, but rather autonomous subjects who make a very serious decision and take responsibility for it. The text points out the difficulty involved in freely making the decision to assist in the self-induced death of someone who wants to commit suicide. Even requesting assistance in committing suicide is ethically problematic, because it confronts the potential enabler with a limited decision that cuts deeply into his or her moral integrity.</jats:p>

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number914
JournalHumanities and Social Sciences Communications
Volume12
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 30 Jun 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

unpaywall 10.1057/s41599-025-05337-2
Scopus 105010041312

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals