#1279 Patrick Hassan: An Open Conversation About Suicide with a Philosopher
RECORDED ON APRIL 17th 2026.
Dr. Patrick Hassan is a Senior Lecturer at the School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University. His primary areas of interest are moral and existential philosophy. Currently, I work on 19th century philosophy (particularly Nietzsche and Schopenhauer), ethics and its relation to aesthetics, and environmental philosophy. He is the author of Nietzsche’s Struggle against Pessimism.
In this episode, we have an open discussion about suicide. We start by discussing whether suicide should always be medicalized. We talk about whether it can be justifiable, and whether there is a duty to live, with a focus on the duty to other people. We also discuss whether people should have access to assisted suicide. Finally, we discuss whether it is a personal flaw if someone decides they no longer want to live.
Time Links:
Intro
Should suicide always be medicalized?
Can suicide be justifiable?
Is there a duty to live?
Should people have access to assisted suicide?
Is it a personal flaw if someone decides they no longer want to live?
Follow Dr. Hassan’s work!
Follow Dr. Hassan’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/45qrcwE
PhilPeople profile: https://bit.ly/4029VJa