Dying to Control
Accepting Death Should Not Mean Assisting It
Throughout the modern Western world, the practice of assisted dying is being increasingly accepted as a normal and “dignified” way to depart from this life. There are many reasons for this seemingly unprecedented shift. They include, among other things, the rise of what Philip Rieff termed the “therapeutic society,” in which the main ethical criterion is whether an action conduces to a feeling of well-being, and the related loss of a culture that regards suffering as a uniquely “generative” experience—that is, an experience that leads to personal growth for all involved.
It is not the purpose of this article, however, to explore each of these developments in depth. Rather, my intention is to provide some much-needed clarity to an otherwise confused and hostile discussion. To this end, I will attempt to articulate how the practice of assisted dying should be rightly understood (if it is to be engaged with critically) and how its widespread acceptance and use threatens to have a negative impact on society—specifically, on our society’s capacity to love the “unlovable,” and therefore to love at all.
Selfless & Unitive Love
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Adrian Keri is a teacher and academic based in Sydney, Australia, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
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