In Tony Nicklinson's heroic suffering, I can't help but see the case for life

[ljtaylor]

It is harrowing to watch the anguish of a man who wants to end his life but cannot - yet his message somehow backfires

Comments

[eversofar]

I am wary of comparing this man's tears with images of sorrow in art.

should have listened to your instinct then. but if you can't see the difference between an image of the deposition and footage of a man crying because he can't make decisions about his own life, then i suppose you're beyond hope.

[skellington1]

NICKLINSON IS NOT YOUR INSPIRATION PORN, FUCKER.

[catalana]

Uh, dude, I'm a professional philosopher, and I'd like to remind you that aesthetic considerations don't always trump ethical ones. So even leaving aside the horrifying objectification going on in the name of art - which reminds me a lot of the way western Europeans have treated people of color, incidentally - you still can't just ignore the man's suffering. No major ethical theory will let you do that. That's why you can't murder people and claim artistic expression - art is not the one true determiner of value.

[kyra_neko_rei]

Is that someone who should be put to death given what he wants, however "good" the intentions?

Fixed that for ya.

MISSING THE ENTIRE POINT to use "put to death" language that inherently defines death as a punishment for wrongdoing, thus rejecting utterly his reality that death is an escape from a living hell. I have never seen ignorant privilege demonstrated quite so well.

[akisawana]

Well, at least the author of this piece managed to side-step the thorny issue of assisted suicide by being so goddamn offensive.