Switzerland has an unusual position on assisted suicide. It is legal and can be performed by Non-physicians. But euthanasia ( Mercy killing) in spite of incurable medical conditions is illegal. Daniel Kahneman flew to Zurich to die a self-determined death in Switzerland. He was 90.
Daniel Kanheman was no ordinary mortal. Neither was he sick or disabled. He was a nobel laureate. He was also in sound body and mind on the last day of his life before opting for assisted suicide voluntarily.
The renowned Israeli-American psychologist has received the Nobel prize for behavioural economics in 2002. He taught us about the biases that shape our choices and had dedicated his life to understanding human judgment before making one last, profound decision for himself.
For the last 40 years, he had been teaching in various universities of America. In March 2024, Daniel Kahneman flew to Paris from New York to celebrate his 90th birthday surrounded by his partner Barbara Tversky, his daughter and her family in Paris.
The Nobel laureate psychologist strolled through the city, visited museums and the ballet, enjoyed soufflés and chocolate mousse. They were days full of life. He spent his last days in Paris – remembering, enjoying, writing. And even at the end, when asked what he would like to do, he said: “I would like to learn something.”
On his last day in Paris, Kahneman began to send a personal message to close friends: a farewell email.
Finally on March 26, he left his family and flew to Zurich. One day later, he died by assisted suicide. He said lately he had noticed an “increase in mental lapses and a decline in his kidney function”. He wrote: If you wait until a life is “obviously no longer worth living”, it is already too late.
He closed his email with the words: “Thank you all for helping me to make this life a good one.”
He spent his last days in Paris – conscious, fulfilled and quiet.
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