HLSC 2400U Midterm: Hume Suicide Natural Law
Document Summary
In his unpublished piece, on suicide, david hume attacked aquinas" natural law view on the wrongness of suicide. Church teaching was that the order of the universe and nature, including human nature, was derived from eternal or divine law. Enlightenment philosophers treated the subject of suicide with a secular view that included examining suicide under a lens that included the influence of science and psychology. Our natural fear of death will limit the number of people who actually choose to commit suicide. Hume"s position is largely utilitarian with a strong presumption of personal liberty.
