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Right to Die

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Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics

Abstract

This entry opens with a concise history of the right to die movement. Then it provides a conceptual framework, explaining key terms that are often utilized by those who advocate physician aid-in-dying: liberty, autonomy, dignity, respect, concern, quality of life, and suffering. Contra quality-of-life considerations, arguments relating to the sanctity of life are presented. Reflecting on whether the physician’s role includes also termination of life, guidelines are suggested that balance between patient’s wishes and our shared concern to prevent abuse, explaining that while physicians cannot be obligated to end life, those who accept that patients do have the right to die may come to their assistance.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Politics, University of Hull, Cottingham Rd, Hull, UK

    Raphael Cohen-Almagor

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  1. Raphael Cohen-Almagor
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Correspondence to Raphael Cohen-Almagor .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Duquesne University Center for Healthcare Ethics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Henk ten Have

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Cohen-Almagor, R. (2014). Right to Die. In: ten Have, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_386-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_386-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05544-2

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