An interesting topic we talked about today is suicide. The stoics believed that in some circumstances it is okay to commit suicide. They believe that if you live in an environment that allows you to not follow the philosophy “follow where reason leads,” it is okay to commit suicide. They believe also if you are not able to cultivate your virtues, it is okay to commit suicide. I do not believe this. I feel that no matter what situation you are in committing suicide is kind of the easy way out. I feel that when you go through something tough and you make it out, you are a better person than when you went through the situation. Also, I feel that suicide is a voidable circumstance that can be avoided if the person just stops and thinks about the decision they are making. For example someone who is depressed will not think logically about what to do about their depression. They are just thinking about the current circumstances and feel that there is no way out. If someone like this got some help, then they may not think about suicide like they would have if they were depressed in that moment. I feel that with the help of external resources, most suicides can be avoided. Another example I can think of is suicides by young adolescents due to bullying. If someone would have stepped in to intervene between the circumstances then I feel that most of these suicides would have been prevented.
Tayler Hildreth
I agree that it is never justifiable to commit suicide. The Stoics believed that there was no point in living if one could not live to "cultivate their virtues." I disagree with the Stoics, because the Stoics can not see into the future. If a person is living in a society where he or she could not live virtuously, then it is not the end of the world. Circumstances could happen where the person could get away from it all and begin to live a virtuous life. If the person is living in a corrupt and harsh world, it is still not okay to commit suicide. I would think that the Stoics would be against something as extreme as suicide because not only is it terrible, it could be considered unfair and unjust because the person did not have the opportunity to live to their highest potential; which would be as a virtuous person.
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