"David Hume - Essays on Suicide and the Immortality of the Soul" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hume David)

A /MAN\ is engaged in a conspiracy for the public interest; is
seized upon suspicion; is threatened with the rack; and knows from
his own weakness that the secret will be extorted from him: Could
such a one consult the public interest better than by putting a
quick period to a miserable life? This was the case of the famous
and brave of . -- Again, suppose a malefactor is
justly condemned to a shameful death, can any reason be imagined,
why he may not anticipate his punishment, and save himself all the
anguish of thinking on its dreadful approaches? He invades the
business of providence no more than the magistrate did, who ordered
his execution; and his voluntary death is equally advantageous to
society, by ridding it of a pernicious member.

T/HAT\ Suicide may often be consistent with interest and with
our duty to ourselves, no one can question, who allows that age,
{21} sickness, or misfortune, may render life a burthen, and make it
worse even than annihilation. I believe that no man ever threw away
life, while it was worth keeping. For such is our natural horror of
death, that small motives will never be able to reconcile us to it;
and though perhaps the situation of a man's health or fortune did
not seem to require this remedy, we may at least be assured that any
one who, without apparent reason, has had recourse to it, was curst
with such an incurable depravity or gloominess of temper as must
poison all enjoyment, and render him equally miserable as if he had

been loaded with the most grievous misfortunes. -- If suicide be
supposed a crime, 'tis only cowardice can impel us to it. If it be
no crime, both prudence and courage should engage us to rid
ourselves at once of existence, when it becomes a burthen. 'Tis the
only way that we can then be useful to society, by setting an
example, which if imitated, would preserve to every one his chance
for happiness in life, {22} and would effectually free him from all
danger of misery.[5]{23}

ESSAY II.



ON THE



OF THE .



B/Y\ the mere light of reason it seems difficult to prove the
of the ; the arguments for it are commonly
derived either from topics, or or .
But in reality 'tis the Gospel and the Gospel alone, that has

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