Do you think the right to die would benefit society? (aside from individual rights)

[wisteria3]

I believe in the right to die for individual reasons, like I think it's a fundamental human right. Every reasonable person should agree that any life CAN get to the point where it's not worth living. So why shouldn't each individual make that choice for themselves assuming they've thought it through?

However, one reason I haven't seen talked about is that the right to die would give the government an economic incentive to keep people happy. I think the mental health crisis is systemic (living against our biological programming), so maybe having the right to die would induce systemic change that could improve wellbeing. Also, people could donate their organs to others. I also think it would reduce impulsive suicides because people wouldn't feel so desperate. But of course it's also possible that society would collapse if too many people "opt out" ... Also, it could get bad if people started encouraging others to die because they felt they weren't contributing to society enough. I'm curious about people's thoughts?

By the way, I don't think life is logically "worth it" in any situation, even if society was a "utopia". But most of the public does not agree and wants to improve society, so I wish talking about the right to die wasn't so taboo.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I disagree that legalizing the right to die would force governments to focus on keeping people happy. Instead, they and any other opportunistic power-hungry entities would likely instead use the increased amount of dead people somehow to exploit them. They might even go around finding ways to encourage suicide once they figure out how to profit from it.

It's like in Rick and Morty season 7 episode 4, the spaghetti episode. People would rather bend over backwards than go through the trouble of actually keeping everyone fulfilled.

 

[derpyderpins]

Personally, I've always suspected a regulated right-to-die may cut down on total suicide attempts. Tell people they can peacefully die, but they have to make an appointment a few weeks out, and maybe one intermittent meeting with the doctor. A lot of suicide attempts are impulse, not people like on this site who came to that point over many years, and those people may calm down and decide against it while waiting for their appointment.

I think lessening failed suicides that leave people alive and permanently messed up can only be a net positive.

 

[xinino]

Yes, get rid of disfunctional people will always benefits.

 

[sserafim]

Society will never allow the right to die. If it did, society would lose workers, consumers and taxpayers. The economic model would collapse. Dead men pay no taxes, and once you're dead, society can't profit off of you anymore. Society keeps us alive so that we can become slaves to the system. We're valuable as human capital and for our labor. Society only values you for money and profit, as well as what you can contribute. The right to die would allow people to escape becoming wageslaves. Society will never allow it because it would completely destroy the capitalist pyramid scheme. The right to die would not benefit society economically at all. Instead, it would be detrimental to the economy. This is why they don't allow euthanasia: because it would harm the economy

 

[Red Moon]

I don't know probably not because it's to uphold society and for people to pay taxes, who knows maybe euthanasia will happen in the future.

 

[Dusk till dawn]

Yes it would, most suicidal people are unproductive, it would greatly benefit the society if suicidal people can just die because they're often unproductive and only consume things, i can't imagine a scenario where i'm a beneficial pawn in society

 

[Green Destiny]

As Dr. Iron Arc stated above legalizing the right to die would probably be commercialized and used as a money maker like everything else is in modern day society. But in that same vein it somewhat surprises me that this has not happened yet.

 

[Forever Sleep]

As Dr. Iron Arc stated above legalizing the right to die would probably be commercialized and used as a money maker like everything else is in modern day society. But in that same vein it somewhat surprises me that this has not happened yet.

Yeah, it's interesting. I definitely think our governments are motivated by money over anything else. You'd think they would actually be itching to get rid of the non contributing members of society- the old, the ill, the unemployed. Maybe it is because those people keep other people in employment who then pay taxes. Plus, the pharmaceutical industry must be huge and they likely have all sorts of shady deals with our political parties.

I think it's more about their image though. How many parents would support an assisted suicide programme that could see not only their ailing grandparents but also their children opting out of life early? I'd say overall, there probably isn't enough public support to want assisted suicide for all but the most utterly desperate cases. I guess religion still holds power in some countries but basically- people vote. People and especially parents likely won't support politicians that will help their children die! I think we tend to forget here that promoting assisted suicide, especially for anyone who asks for it, isn't a popular opinion amongst the 'normies'.