Leon R. Kass and Nelson Lund

In the following viewpoint, Leon Kass and Nelson Lund contend that ethical and legal prohibitions on physician-assisted suicide (PAS) are the best way to ensure that physicians do not abuse the practice. Kass and Lund argue that the Hippocratic Oath, which they believe forbids PAS, serves as an important reminder to physicians of the power they have over their patients. In the authors’ view, legalizing PAS, and abandoning the Hippocratic Oath, would weaken the guidelines that help doctors separate their personal judgments from what is best for their patients. Leon Kass is a physician and a professor at the University of Chicago, and Nelson Lund is a political scientist and a professor at the George Mason University School of Law.

As you read, consider the following questions...