#1084 Patrick Hassan: The Pilosophy of Suicide

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Apr 14, 2025

Patrick Hassan, a Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University specializing in moral and existential philosophy, dives into the intricate philosophy of suicide. He explores its moral implications and contrasts philosophical inquiries with scientific perspectives. Hassan highlights the historical evolution of suicide thinking, particularly through the lens of 19th-century thinkers like Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. He also discusses the impact of societal attitudes on individual suffering and advocates for a compassionate understanding of this complex issue.

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INSIGHT

Suicide Discussed Since Antiquity

Philosophers have debated suicide since ancient times, with views ranging from condemnation to admiration depending on context and culture.
Western and non-Western traditions alike have considered suicide's moral implications, often related to duties to society or family.

INSIGHT

Shift From Religious to Rational Views

Christian medieval philosophy largely condemned suicide as a violation of duties to self, others, and God.
The Enlightenment challenged religious arguments, with figures like Hume arguing for permissibility and Kant condemning suicide on rational grounds.

INSIGHT

19th Century Medicalization of Suicide

The 19th century medicalized suicide, describing it as a symptom of individual mental illness or social dysfunction.
Philosophers and scientists viewed suicide less as a moral failing and more as a health or social issue linked to modernization and social change.

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Dr. Patrick Hassan is a Senior Lecturer at the School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University. His primary areas of interest are moral and existential philosophy. Currently, I work on 19th century philosophy (particularly Nietzsche and Schopenhauer), ethics and its relation to aesthetics, and environmental philosophy. He is the author of Nietzsche's Struggle against Pessimism.

In this episode, we talk about the philosophy of suicide. We start by discussing what it is, and how it compares to scientific approaches to suicide. We talk about what is suicide, how old the philosophy of suicide is, how suicide was approached morally before the 19th century, and a shift in the 19th century toward a more psycho-sociological and biological approach to suicide. We discuss how pessimism relates to suicide, whether pessimists are against suicide, and what they think about the medicalization of suicide. We talk about how pessimism compares to traditional and progressive approaches to suicide. We discuss James Sully’s psychological reduction of philosophical pessimism and challenges to it. Finally, we talk about the current state of the philosophy of suicide.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, EDWARD HALL, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, GEORGE CHORIATIS, VALENTIN STEINMANN, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, MAURO JÚNIOR, 航豊川, TONY BARRETT, BENJAMIN GELBART, NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY, STEVEN GANGESTAD, TED FARRIS, AND ROBINROSWELL!

A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, NICK GOLDEN, CHRISTINE GLASS, IGOR NIKIFOROVSKI, AND PER KRAULIS!

AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, ROSEY, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!