Original scientific paper
Duty to Die
Milica Czerny Urban
Elvio Baccarini
orcid.org/0000-0002-6771-9859
; Sveučilište u Rijeci, Filozofski fakultet – Odsjek za filozofiju, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Abstract
In contemporary debates on euthanasia, physician assisted suicide and withholding and withdrawing life prolonging treatments, besides commonly used reasons, which are based on presumption of freedom and avoidance of pain, there is also an idea of a duty to die. Given that individuals are also members of society, and that they have families and loved ones, it is necessary to discuss cases when illness causes severe burdens for lives of loved ones. We consider that patient’s just assessment of duty to die can be legitimate candidate for justification of procedure of acceleration of death, taken care of necessary conditions of justified social support for patients and necessary aliment from family and society. In this paper we examine main features of duty to die thesis, extract objections, and offer guidelines for continued discussion. We also want to express the importance of establishing social circumstances and preconditions for protecting the individuals.
Keywords
Autonomy; categorical imperative; duty to die; euthanasia, justice; physician assisted suicide; primary goods; reciprocity; slippery slope
Hrčak ID:
54606
URI
Publication date:
29.6.2010.
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