THE ETHICS OF SUICIDE AND SUICIDE-PREVENTION

Is suicide ever a defensible choice, particularly for the terminally i ll? The present article debates this difficult question, examining the relevance of such issues as the morality, rationality, and dynamics o f the suicidal act, and the legitimacy of physician-assisted suicide. Contrasting perspectives on these issues ar articulated by two promine nt suicidologists, as a spur to the reader's deeper reconsideration of the ethics of suicide and suicide prevention.