Intending Death: the Structure of the Problem and Proposed Solutions (IN: Intending Death: the Ethics of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, edited by T L Beauchamp)

This chapter analyzes the moral permissibility of assisted suicide & euthanasia. The author intends for his essay to amend the apparent contradiction between allegiance to the prohibition against intentionally taking innocent human life & the conviction that, at least in some cases, intentionally killing is permissible. Several philosophical tenets are presented to amend this contradiction. The author concludes by stating that this conflict can be resolved by abandoning the prohibition & replacing it with the principle that innocent people have a right to life. (27 refs)(SC)