Healing and Killing, Harming and not Harming: Physician Participation in Euthanasia and Capital Punishment

A revulsion against killing by physicians is seen as the proper, professional reflex that largely safeguards individual patients & society. The author examines this reflex as it pertains to active, voluntary euthanasia as well as to participation in capital punishment. He argues that while the two have many similarities, the differences are relevant & profound & reside in different visions of what is entailed in the concept of doing harm to persons. (15 refs.)