Euthanasia

This chapter approaches Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s legacy in the culture wars, by way of introduction to the moral complexities of euthanasia. In the outlook of most codes of medical ethics, euthanasia is morally acceptable, provided it is only done passively (i.e., solely withdrawing treatment). This stance is grounded in the moral difference between killing and letting die. Philipa Foot’s original consideration of trolley scenarios was intended to support this distinction. However, a thought experiment by James Rachels challenges that distinction. Furthermore, a variation of the trolley scenario by Judith Jarvis Thomson suggests that, in some circumstances, killing one may be even preferable to letting five die. Despite these nuances, the distinction between doing and allowing harm may still be relevant, although that does not imply that euthanasia is morally unacceptable in every case. Ultimately, notions of compassion and autonomy do warrant the moral acceptability of euthanasia, albeit such decisions must be handled with care and on a case-by-case basis.