8) Medical Assistance in Dying
What are the main arguments for and against legalizing euthanasia (or physician-assisted dying)?
What fears or values underlie resistance or support (e.g., sanctity of life, autonomy, slippery slope concerns)?
How does it reflect broader societal views on death, dignity, and control?
Read This:
- Douthat, R. (2022), ‘What euthanasia has done to Canada’, The New York Times, 3 December.
- Engelhart, K. (2025), ‘Do patients without a terminal illness have the right to die?’, The New York Times, 1 June.
- Brooks, D. (2023), ‘The outer limits of liberalism’, The Atlantic, 4 May.
- Sherwood, H. (2024), ‘What are the key issues in the assisted dying debate?’, The Guardian, 22 November.
Do This:
Discussion:
Activity 1 (UK’s policy on assisted dying): Explore the policymaking constraints to stakeholder interests for:
- Physician groups
- Disability rights advocates
- Church of England
- Families of the terminally ill
Activity 2: Do you support assisted suicide? Under what constraints for the following cases?
- A terminally ill patient with 3 years to live
- A patient with a degenerative disease with moderate suffering but no terminal illness
- Someone experiencing severe depression
- A minor seeking assisted dying
Watch This:
Sky News, Doctors Debate Assisted Dying:
Listen To This:
BBC Briefing Room, What Can the UK Learn from Other Countries on Assisted Dying?
