The Meaning of Dignity:  What’s Beneath the Assisted Dying Debate?

The Meaning of Dignity:  What’s Beneath the Assisted Dying Debate?

The full report from Theos can be read here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/cmsfiles/Meaning-of-Dignity-report-FINAL.pdf

Andrew Grey with a Foreword by Nick Spencer

The topic of assisted dying touches on our deepest beliefs and convictions, in particular, our idea of dignity. Everyone wants to honour and respect human dignity at the end of life. The problem is that concept has radically different meanings.

One approach argues that dignity lies in autonomy.

We should have the right to end our lives at our choosing, especially if we are in pain or facing imminent death.

The other approach says dignity lies in relationships, and is about being appreciated, valued and loved. It believes that the best way to honour people’s dignity is to care for them.

We believe that if society were to place its weight behind dignity-as-autonomy and so grant the right to die to those who choose it, even if that right is at first tightly

restricted to the terminally ill, we would no longer have a cogent reason to deny it to people who wanted to end their lives but who were not terminally ill or even in physical pain.

However much we might insist on practical or legal brakes (e.g. legal restrictions) to stop us sliding down the slippery slope, if we locate human dignity in ability to choose, we will no longer have any principled or ethical brakes – no deep reason to deny people their choice to die in other circumstances.

This is what has happened in numerous jurisdictions that have legalised assisted dying over the last 20 years. Instead, we argue that the best way fully to honour

someone’s dignity is to recognise and respect their life in relationship and to love, value and care for them as long as it is possible.