Suicide can be Rational for Senescent or Terminal Patients (IN: Contemporary Perspectives on Rational Suicide, edited by J L Werth, Jr.)

This chapter attempts to point out the arguments for rational suicide apply with particular cogency to senescent or terminal patients, & arguments against it are especially weak when applied to these patients. The author first defines his terms, then presents the arguments for rational suicide among senescent & terminal patients, & then refutes arguments against it. At the end, arguments with special relevance to the subordinate issue of physician-assisted suicide are discussed.