Euthanasia and persistent vegetative state individuals: the role and moral status of autonomy.

Abstract

This paper offers a philosophical consideration and evaluation of several different criteria of moral standing, and discusses their implications for persistent vegetative state (PVS) individuals who were once competent. It is argued that the only criterion PVS individuals meet is that of being human, which is not the best test of moral standing. Accordingly it is, in principle, morally acceptable to perform passive or active euthanasia on PVS individuals or to use their bodies for research or for organ harvest. Nevertheless, the autonomous choices made by the persons the PVS individuals used to be can still impose moral obligations. Indeed, it is argued that the capacity for autonomy is a particularly appealing criterion of moral standing, and that the implications of this standard for PVS individuals confirm that appeal.

• Authors: E Soifer
• Journal: The Journal of social issues (J Soc Issues) Vol. 52 Issue 2 Pg. 31-50 ( 1996) ISSN: 0022-4537 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15156859 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Advance Directive Adherence (ethics)
• Biomedical Research (ethics)
• Euthanasia (ethics)
• Human Characteristics
• Human Experimentation (ethics)
• Humans
• Moral Obligations
• Persistent Vegetative State
• Personal Autonomy
• Personhood
• Philosophy
• Species Specificity
• Tissue Donors
• Tissue and Organ Procurement (ethics)