Unrequested termination of life: is it permissible?

Abstract

One can appreciate and understand why doctors take action to terminate life without being requested by the patient who is suffering unbearably and pointlessly. But in my opinion such action is not permissible from a moral point of view. In the first place there is a danger that interests other than those of the patient will play a decisive role. Furthermore, it is not permissible because the interest of society as a whole is at stake. The safety of all future patients would no longer be guaranteed. It is also not allowed because the medical profession must constantly be on its guard so that it does not become caught up in the situations described above. In nearly every case it should be possible for doctor and patient to discuss the termination of life explicitly and at an early stage. The ultimate reason why termination of life without request of the patient is not permissible is that in principle it will never be possible to draw a clear dividing line between unrequested and unwanted termination of life. However, it is conceivable that in certain cases the conflict of loyalties will be such that unrequested termination of life is justified. In the rare extreme case of an inescapable conflict of equally stringent duties, it may just be necessary to do something which in essence is impermissible.