The Moral and Legal Status of Physician-Assisted Death: Quality of Life and the Patient-Physician Relationship

Abstract

The historical analogy of Nazi Germany is quite misguided and forestalls useful debate on euthanasia. Rightly practiced, passive euthanasia can be seen as a medical duty in certain cases. Indeed, even the use of active forms of aid in dying can be recommended. One can properly appeal both to the traditional goals of medicine (especially the relief of pain and suffering) and to the ethos of trust, comfort, and protection that naturally grows between patients and physicians. In advancing its dissenting argument, the article reviews the legal and historical backgrounds that guide recent discussions of euthanasia in the United States.