[Sweden] A human right to assisted dying? Autonomy, dignity, and exceptions to the right to life

[Sweden] A human right to assisted dying? Autonomy, dignity, and exceptions to the right to life
Nursing Ethics; by Jon Wittrock; 4/25
Debates on assisted dying remain controversial and call out for conceptual clarification. What is the moral basis for assessing competing arguments, and what is the best way to frame these arguments in terms of actual and potential human rights? This article aims to investigate whether autonomy alone suffices as a moral source for human rights and whether, on this basis, there should be a positive human right to assisted dying, and a negative human right to assist others in dying. Drawing upon discussions in political theory, medical ethics, and human rights scholarship, the article develops an account of autonomy as multidimensional and subject to trade-offs.