In Defence of Assisted Dying

Tomáš Hříbek's book is the first monograph in the Czech language to offer a philosophical defence of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. The author explains the sources of the current debate, defines the basic concepts and analyses the arguments for and against assisted suicide and euthanasia. He answers, among other things, the following fundamental questions: what is death, and how do we know that it has occurred? Is death always a harm, or can it be a benefit? Can the decision to kill oneself be both rational and moral? Is the appeal to the moral autonomy of the patient convincing? Is suffering at the end of life meaningful? If not initiating or withdrawing treatment or palliative care are ethically acceptable, why not euthanasia and assisted dying? Can euthanasia be justified for patients who cannot consent to it? Can euthanasia and assisted suicide be rejected with reference to medical ethics or the conscience of doctors? Will legalising euthanasia put us on a slippery slope down which we slide into immoral practice? And are such methods of assisted dying morally acceptable only if they remain exceptional?