A duty to kill? A duty to die? Rethinking the euthanasia controversy of 1906.
This essay seeks to chronicle the controversy surrounding euthanasia that came to a head in the United States around 1906, and to situate that debate in a meaningful historical context. An extensive examination of newspaper coverage of the legislative proposals to legalize the practice in Ohio and Iowa reveals that (1) the discourse occurred in a context in which both supporters and opponents of euthanasia generally agreed that the practice already occurred with frequency; (2) the discussion was heavily influenced by a simultaneous controversy surrounding eugenics; and (3) most of the opponents of legalization relied upon practical rather than religious or moral arguments to further their cause.
Appel
Jacob M
JM
D005053:Eugenics; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000941:ethics / Q000266:history* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009820:Ohio; D012945:Social Values; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States