The Morality of Assisted Dying

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Moral Philosophy

Background:

• Modern emphasis on individualism has reshaped the concept of human dignity.
• This altered dignity concept is foundational to the practice of assisted dying.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the morality of assisted dying.
• To examine the ethical implications of the contemporary understanding of human dignity in relation to assisted dying.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis of the concept of human dignity.
• Ethical critique of autonomy as a justification for assisted dying.
• Examination of societal influences on moral conceptions.

Main Results:

• The contemporary concept of dignity, influenced by individualism, is morally flawed.
• This flawed dignity concept minimizes vulnerability, dismisses coercion, and undermines respect for individuals.
• Autonomy, as a justification, is an insufficient and criticized aspect of this dignity concept.

Conclusions:

• Assisted dying is rooted in a deficient and self-defeating ethical foundation.
• The moral basis for assisted dying is compromised by its origins in a restructured and inadequate concept of human dignity.