Human Dignity and Assisted Death [Hardcover]

Assisted dying and human dignity are two extremely contested topics in Bioethics. This volume offers the first book-length attempt to bring both together. Its authors develop detailed philosophical analyses of dignity, and how it relates to assisted suicide and euthanasia.Assisted dying is still an extremely contested topic in Bioethics. Despite the strongly influential role human dignity plays in this debate, it still has not received the appropriate, multi-faceted treatment it deserves. Studies show that the notion of dignity already plays an important role in medical contexts: it is frequently used by health care professionals as well as patients. However, its use in these contexts needs to be analyzed and explained in more detail. Moreover, a review of the available literature clearly shows that the general, highly fruitful academic debate on human dignity is more than ready to take the next step into applied ethics: in particular, into the even more controversial area of assisted death. This book offers a detailed philosophical analysis of dignity and how it relates to assisted death. Its audience will benefit both from the general discussion of human dignity it offers as well as from the specific bioethical context to which it is applied.Contributors1. Sebastian Muders: IntroductionA. Dignity and the Case of Assisted Death2. Jeff McMahan: Dignity and the Case Against Assisted Death3. Ralf Stoecker: Dignity and the Case in Favor of Assisted DeathB. Dignity at the End of Life4. L. W. Sumner: Dignity Through Thick and Thin5. Robert George/Christopher Kaczor: Death with Dignity: A Dangerous EuphemismC. Dignity and Disability6. David Wasserman: Physical Disability, Dignity, and Physician Assisted Death7. Rebecca Dresser: Dementia, Dignity, and Assisted DeathD. Dignity and Autonomy8. Sebastian Muders: Autonomy and the Value of Life as Elements of Human Dignity9. Michael Cholbi: Dignity, Price, and lÓ(