Society’s Search for a Legal and Ethical Basis of Physician-Assisted Suicide Article
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Recommended Citation
Rebecca C. Morgan, Society’s Search for a Legal and Ethical Basis of Physician-Assisted Suicide, 9 Journal of Aging and Social Policy 51 (1997)Clicking on the button will copy the full recommended citation.
A review of the way physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is being addressed in the United States reveal three models, each functioning out of distinctive concepts of autonomy: (1) litigation, which utilizes philosophical autonomy; (2) legislation, which utilizes political autonomy; and (3) act of conscience by a physician, which utilizes consumer autonomy. Each model raises a correspondingly distinct set of ethical questions and challenges centered around their point of reference - the judicial system, voters, or the doctor-patient relationship. The challenge for religion is to address PAS in solidarity with sufferers, physicians, and the community, rather than retreating into iconoclastic dogmas.