Beihilfe zum Suizid
Ausgabe: 3/2009
55. Jahrgang
Dem Sterben zuvorkommen? Ethische Überlegungen zur Beihilfe zum Suizid
The practice of assisted suicide has been a subject of ongoing controversy for years. However, experiences from, for example, Oregon and Switzerland have introduced a new element into the debate. Questions which arise from the perspective of theological ethics include issues related to suicide in general, physicians care of the dying, and possible social consequences of an established practice of physician-assisted suicide. Because of reservations regarding suicide itself, assistance must also be judged with scepticism. Liberal regulations are faced with the problem of simultaneously securing the protection of life and preventing the delegation of non-medical tasks to physicians. Alternatives to the establishment of assisted suicide are both the promotion of palliative care and a change in attitude to typical experiences of human life currently viewed as negative such as aging, dependence on others, or suffering.
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