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Killing, letting die and the bare difference argument.

Roy W Perrett

    Bioethics
    |April 1, 1996
    PubMed
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    There is no inherent moral distinction between actively killing and passively letting die. This philosophical argument, the Bare Difference Argument, asserts that the act versus omission distinction lacks moral weight.

    Area of Science:

    • Moral Philosophy
    • Ethics
    • Applied Ethics

    Background:

    • The distinction between killing and letting die is a central issue in moral philosophy.
    • Philosophers debate whether acts of commission are intrinsically more morally reprehensible than omissions.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To argue that there is no intrinsic moral difference between killing and letting die.
    • To defend the Bare Difference Argument against recent criticisms.

    Main Methods:

    • The study employs the Bare Difference Argument, a thought experiment.
    • It analyzes hypothetical scenarios to isolate moral differences.

    Main Results:

    • The Bare Difference Argument, when correctly understood, demonstrates that the distinction between killing and letting die is not intrinsically morally significant.
    Keywords:
    Analytical ApproachDeath and EuthanasiaPhilosophical Approach

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  • Criticisms of the argument, such as those by Winston Nesbitt, are based on a misunderstanding of its logical structure.

    • Conclusions:

    • The moral evaluation of actions should not solely rely on the act/omission distinction.
    • The Bare Difference Argument remains a valid tool for ethical analysis, refuting the idea that killing is inherently worse than letting die.