Abstract

This article supports the claim that even from a pessimist’s perspective, suicide is futile. On this basis, I argue that to assume that suicide solves the problem of suffering is to hold two erroneous suppositions: [1] that suffering is merely an accidental aspect of existence, and [2] that suffering is a particular phenomenon. Arthur Schopenhauer, the principal philosopher in this article, opposes such suppositions by asserting that suffering is an essential aspect of existence and a universal phenomenon. Given those two key qualities of suffering, suicide then becomes futile in dealing with the problem of suffering. This article is divided into four sections. The first section presents global statistics on suicide. The second section presents the meaning of suicide. The third section presents Arthur Schopenhauer’s argument for the futility of suicide. The fourth section presents a few critical remarks about Arthur Schopenhauer’s stand on suicide. Within a philosophical branch called ethics, issues on suicide are located within bioethical studies, where matters about the value of human life take centre stage. This article looks forward toyielding an extra reason against embarking on suicide as a potential solution to the experience of suffering. It is important for one to clearly understand why one ought to fight against suicide in order to mitigate its damage that silently weakens future’s manpower, due to its relentless persecution of the youth of middle- and low-income countries, who, statistically, are its worst victims.