How do roles impact suicidal agents’ obligations?

TL;DR

This paper explores whether people in roles like parents have obligations not to commit suicide due to their responsibilities to others.

Contribution

The paper introduces a contractual view of normative roles and applies contract principles to assess obligations in suicide cases.

Findings

Parental obligations may preclude permissible suicide due to role-related contracts.

Criteria for contract cancellation can be used to release someone from role-related obligations.

Culpability in failing role obligations depends on factors like intention and mental capacity.

Abstract

In this paper, I assess the role responsibility argument that claims suicidal agents have obligations to specific people not to kill themselves due to their roles. Since the plausibility of the role responsibility argument is clearest in the parent–child relationship, I assess parental obligations. I defend a view that says that normative roles, such as those of a parent, are contractual and voluntary. I then suggest that the normative parameters for some roles preclude permissible suicide because the role-related contract includes a promise to provide continuing care and emotional support. I propose that as we have established criteria for morally acceptable reasons for cancelling, voiding, or amending a contract, we can apply these to the role responsibility argument to establish grounds for releasing a parent from his role-related and contractual obligations. Failure to fulfil one’s contractual roles may not be blameworthy, depending upon the circumstances. I propose the factors determining culpability in failure to fulfil one’s role-related obligations are: intention, voluntariness, diminished responsibility, mental capacity, and foreseeability.