After a presentation of over ten different cases of suicide the author gives a brief review of the definitions of suicide found in the literature. Then he suggests a definition of his own: ‘A wo/man commits a suicide if s/he consciously initiates a sequence of events leading to her/his death.’ This definition does not entail any value statement about the act of suicide. We may agree that some acts of terminating one’s life deliberately command admiration as feats of heroism, while (...) others are deplorable as acts of cowardice. However, the principle of double effect does not permit to distinguish incontrovertibly a case of a suicidal death from a heroic death, says the author. (shrink)

This article focuses on the presentation and critical analysis of selected arguments concerning the ethical evaluation of assisted suicide. The arguments discussed in the article are drawn from both Polish and English-language literature. Four contemporary arguments concerning the ethical acceptability of assisted suicide are presented and critically analysed. These are: the argument from pity and the argument from dignity by Antony Flew, the argument from the value of suffering and natural death by Jerzy Brusila. The aim of this article is (...) to analyse the arguments and determine whether the chosen arguments are conclusive, as well as to identify further areas of research related to the consideration of the ethical acceptability of assisted suicide. (shrink)