Stephen Hawking ‘Would Consider Assisted Suicide’
In a recent interview, Stephen Hawking admitted he “would consider assisted suicide” — under certain circumstances. At the age of 21, the physicist was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Although he has been confined to a wheelchair since 1969, Hawking remains one of the most brilliant scientists in the world.
A native of Oxford, England, Hawking struggled through primary and secondary school. Although he was quite intelligent, the young man had difficult conforming to expected performance standards.
Stephen Hawking on why he would end his own life http://t.co/jrbJ05Lq0c pic.twitter.com/BMA8kasqBm
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At the age of 17, Stephen Hawking began attending the University College, Oxford. During college, the budding scientist struggled with many of the same issues that plagued his early education. However, he eventually managed to graduate with a first-class BA degree. He later attended the University of Cambridge, where he earned a PhD.
As reported by Biography, Stephen Hawking married Jane Wilde in the years following his diagnosis. Although the couple stayed together for 30 years, and had three children, they divorced in 1995. Hawking then married his nurse, Elaine Mason. However, they were divorced in 2006.
Stephen Hawking would ‘consider’ assisted suicide if he was a burden – http://t.co/9R0nNpT8RA http://t.co/GqFN94F3KA
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Over the last 40 years, Hawking made great strides in scientific research. He is best known for his theory of cosmology and his black hole research. Throughout his career, the 73-year-old physicist received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Fundamental Physics Prize.
In a 2014 BBC interview, Stephen Hawking admitted one suicide attempt following his diagnosis with ALS. During the interview, the physicist said he “briefly tried to commit suicide by not breathing.” Fortunately, “the reflex to breathe was too strong,” and he did not succeed.
As reported by Guardian, the scientist said he has a strong will to live, as he believes he has a lot to contribute to society. However, Stephen Hawking said he “would consider assisted suicide” if he was “in great pain or felt like [he] had nothing more to contribute but was just a burden… ”
At the time of his diagnosis, Hawking was given two years to live. Although the journey has been frustrating at times, the physicist said he is proud of his family and his accomplishments in the scientific world.
Hawking said he is generally happy. Unfortunately, he does “get very lonely,” as he actually quite shy.
Assisted suicide is currently illegal in the United Kingdom. However, provisions in the law makes it difficult to prosecute friends and family of the deceased.
Stephen Hawking believes assisted suicide should be fully legal — under certain circumstances. In his opinion, those seeking permission to commit suicide should submit to a complete medical and mental health evaluation prior to approval.
[Image via Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images]
