The Weakness of the Case for Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide

This chapter considers the argument from mercy and the argument from self-determination for legalizing physician-assisted suicide. Various versions of the argument from mercy are distinguished. Each version suffers from some weakness. The case for legalizing physician assisted suicide (PAS) rests on two well-known arguments. The legalization of PAS and the use of better pain management techniques by physicians are both practices, albeit of different sorts. So, a necessary condition of legalizing PAS would require showing that adopting the practice of physician assisted suicide is better than adopting the practice of better pain management. One huge advantage of the latter practice over the former is that it leads to more life that can be a positive experience for the patient. Another is that it is not subject to the possibility of abuse. Therefore, the realistic version of the argument from mercy does not seem to support the legalization of PAS.