Normalizing Death, Trivializing Life

Hannah Tu notes that in 2013, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey on views of end-of-life medical treatment. “They discovered that 56% of adults believe a person has a moral right to end his or her life if suffering from an incurable disease, and six-in-ten adults (62%) believe a person has a moral right to end their own life if they are suffering great pain and have no hope of improvement.”  Despite the majority support, Tu is concerned that this rationale makes the utilization of death as a solution to a problem.  “Philosophically speaking, if assisted suicide is justifiable based on terminal illness or suffering, where does one draw the line? What if prognoses are wrong or suffering occurs without a natural end in sight? Why does “death with dignity” apply to the terminally ill and not to others? And if everyone has a “right to die,” what are the implications for suicide?”

Read More:  The Washington Stand