title: Voluntary euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and the right to do wrong.
abstract: It has been argued that voluntary euthanasia (VE) and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) are morally wrong. Yet, a gravely suffering patient might insist that he has a moral right to the procedures even if they were morally wrong. There are also philosophers who maintain that an agent can have a moral right to do something that is morally wrong. In this article, I assess the view that a suffering patient can have a moral right to VE and PAS despite the moral wrongness of the procedures in light of the main argument for a moral right to do wrong found in recent philosophical literature. I maintain that the argument does not provide adequate support for such a right to VE and PAS.
authors: Department of Behavioural Sciences and Philosophy, University of Turku, FI-20014, Turku, Finland, jukvar@utu.fi.
authors: Jukka
authors: J
authors: Varelius
mesh_terms: D026688:Bioethical Issues; D033101:Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain; D028701:Patient Rights; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D012297:Right to Die / Q000941:ethics*; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000941:ethics*