Binding and Hoche's "Life Unworthy of Life": A Historical and Ethical Analysis.
The 1920 essay by German attorney Karl Binding and psychiatrist Alfred Hoche, "Permitting the Destruction of Life Unworthy of Life," is often characterized as a stepping-stone toward the Nazi genocide policies. A careful review of Binding and Hoche's arguments does reveal elements that foreshadow Nazi thinking, but it also contains points that fail to parallel--or that directly contradict--Nazi death practices. A proper ethical and historical analysis of this work requires a more nuanced discussion than it often receives.
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D005858:Germany; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D019369:Life; D011570:Psychiatry; D000078329:Workforce