Should people be allowed to do what they want to their own bodies?

Who says the body is not the property of others? Perhaps that body could mean more to people around them than to the person who inhabits it.

According to Jean-Jacques Rousseau people do not have rights like that, to become part of a society (as in social contract theory) and reap the benefits of it such as protection under laws they give up certain freedoms; they simply do what the majority of people say is right:
Jean Jacques Rousseau
The heart of the Idea of the social contract may be stated simply: Each of us places his person and authority under the supreme direction of the general will; and the group receives each individual as an indivisible part of the whole.

In order that the social contract may not be a mere empty formula, everyone must understand that any individual who refuses to obey the general will must be forced by his fellows to do so. This is a way of saying that It may be necessary to force a man to be free; freedom in this case being obedience to the will of all.

[[http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/mmontgomery/world_history/dem_ideals/rousseau.htm]]

Because when you do decide to miss out on a few nights sleep, you’re being irrational, because you knowingly are hurting your self physically, but you’re still staying up. Having said so, when you can’t be rational about a specific subject, someone has to step in (i.e: the government) and stop you, because as a citizen you’re their responsibility. The utilitarian decision you made seems only “legitimate” to you, but you wouldn’t know because you’re causing self-inflected harm in real time, thus you’re irrational, thus you’re opinion is disregarded, so for example if you decide that you want to hit yourself with a hammer because you think it will send you to heaven, you should be stopped by a police officer, why? because you’d simply be too irrational thus being a danger to yourself and possibly to others.

This is also one of the reasons we’re not too accepting of suicide bombing, think about it, suicide bombing is a form of utilitarianism as well- should we universally deem it acceptable because outcome (paradise for the suicide bomber) justifies the means (blowing his self up)

yes but everyone is beautiful in their own way. sure some people might think someone is ugly but that doesnt mean that the person their calling ugly thinks that they are ugly.

Harming one’s own body can cause unfair pain to loved ones and this should be prevented where unjustifiable.

You cannot presume that harming your own body will not affect others. No doubt if you grow up in a family home where one or both parents are, for example, taking drugs it is going to affect you, possibly in negative ways.

Furthermore, extreme cases of self-harming or drug taking can lead to the death of the individual involved. Surely it would be niave and unfair to suggest this would not affect others?

Therefore how you trat your own body can have an impact on others and to not consider this would be very selfish.

In this motion you have failed to say to whom this would apply? I must therefore assume that ALL people should be allowed to treat their bodies as they wish.

I can therefore infer that children would be allowed these sorts of rights.

Do you really suggest that children should be allowed to take drugs, get tattoos and self-harm? And what about those who are mentally unwell?

For those people in society who are unable to make informed decisions, to legally be able to treat their bodies in any way they wish would surely be devastating! In these cases, others would have to make the decision for them. So why not the state?

Generally, people can not live isolately as they have a lot of relationship and contacts with others. intentionally or unintentionally, their actions may have less or more effect on others. Imagine how a mum feel when seeing her child takes drugs or do something harmful to his health? Furthermore, what a leader or influential person does often have great impact on other people. It can lead to copy-cat or imitation.