More history "lite" in modern American bioethics

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• History of Philosophy
• Legal Studies

Background:

• Prominent 17th and 18th-century moral theorists largely opposed suicide.
• This historical stance is often cited in secular moral arguments against assisted suicide.

Observation:

• Contemporary bioethicists inaccurately claim these theorists did not oppose suicide.
• These claims also dispute the theorists' belief in an inalienable right to life and liberty.

Findings:

• The bioethicists' arguments rely on improper historical methodology, including misquotations.
• A failure to understand moral theorists within their historical context fuels these misrepresentations.

Implications:

• Obfuscating this history distorts the intellectual lineage of opposition to assisted suicide.
• This may hinder originalist constitutional analysis concerning the right to life and liberty.