10 - Conclusion: My Brother’s Keeper

Summary

This chapter summarises the book, focusing on our analyses of ethical challenges based upon the three core ethical perspectives we presented in Chapter 1: moralist, libertarian and relativist. The moralists, who contend that suicide is always unacceptable and must be prevented, have occupied the mainstream position through a long period of history. Attacks on the moralistic point of view were highlighted in the twentieth century by the libertarian writings of such anti-psychiatrists as Szasz, who argued that all suicide prevention should be abandoned, and thereafter by more philosophical critics such as Foucault. Today, relativist approaches often predominate, where some people are seen as needing suicide prevention and with others, their wanting to die is ignored or facilitated, as in the case of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), euthanasia and assisted suicide. Suicide prevention should be seen as a central issue that has to be assessed alongside the anti-paternalism promotion of freedom of choice. The concern of this book has not been to find a middle ground. We have sought a social and moral conscience that mandates a duty to respond to suicide and the desire to end life prematurely, first and foremost, by responding to cries for help, rather than to a clarion call for freedom