Abstract
David Shaw presents a new argument to support the old claim that there is not a significant moral difference between killing and letting die and, by implication, between active and passive euthanasia. He concludes that doctors should not make a distinction between them. However, whether or not killing and letting die are morally equivalent is not as important a question as he suggests. One can justify legal distinctions on non-moral grounds. One might oppose physician-assisted suicide and active euthanasia when performed by doctors on patients whether or not one is in favour of the legalisation of assisted suicide and active euthanasia.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 306-309 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Journal of Medical Ethics |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2010 |
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Keywords
- medical ethics
- euthanasia
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Assisted suicide and the killing of people? Maybe. Physician-assisted suicide and the killing of patients? No: the rejection of Shaw's new perspective on euthanasia. / McLachlan, Hugh V.
In: Journal of Medical Ethics, Vol. 36, No. 5, 01.01.2010, p. 306-309.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Assisted suicide and the killing of people? Maybe. Physician-assisted suicide and the killing of patients? No: the rejection of Shaw's new perspective on euthanasia
AU - McLachlan, Hugh V.
N1 - <p>Originally published in: Journal of Medical Ethics (2010), 36 (5), pp.306-309.</p>
PY - 2010/1/1
Y1 - 2010/1/1
N2 - David Shaw presents a new argument to support the old claim that there is not a significant moral difference between killing and letting die and, by implication, between active and passive euthanasia. He concludes that doctors should not make a distinction between them. However, whether or not killing and letting die are morally equivalent is not as important a question as he suggests. One can justify legal distinctions on non-moral grounds. One might oppose physician-assisted suicide and active euthanasia when performed by doctors on patients whether or not one is in favour of the legalisation of assisted suicide and active euthanasia.
AB - David Shaw presents a new argument to support the old claim that there is not a significant moral difference between killing and letting die and, by implication, between active and passive euthanasia. He concludes that doctors should not make a distinction between them. However, whether or not killing and letting die are morally equivalent is not as important a question as he suggests. One can justify legal distinctions on non-moral grounds. One might oppose physician-assisted suicide and active euthanasia when performed by doctors on patients whether or not one is in favour of the legalisation of assisted suicide and active euthanasia.
KW - medical ethics
KW - euthanasia
U2 - 10.1136/jme.2009.033118
DO - 10.1136/jme.2009.033118
M3 - Article
VL - 36
SP - 306
EP - 309
JO - Journal of Medical Ethics
JF - Journal of Medical Ethics
SN - 0306-6800
IS - 5
ER -