Kant's Formulation Of Physician Assisted Suicide

The Kantian Ethics theory is the deontological theory that will be utilized in dilemma mentioned above. Immanuel Kant argues that one should base morality on proper duty and proper motive. Kant has two major formulations to his theory, “Act only on that maxim that you can will as a universal law…[and] Always treat humanity, whether in your own person or that or another, never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end.” (MacKinnon, p. 116, 2001). According to Kant’s theory, it would be unethical for Frank Van Den Bleeken to undergo physician-assisted suicide because it violates Kant’s formulations on morality. The first formulation of morality is based on proper duty. Proper duties state that an individual must not lie, break promises, or take ones own life (suicide). …show more content…
Physician assisted suicide in itself is a system that aims to end a life. Applying Kant’s first formulation, one must hypothetically imagine that universally everyone undergone physician-assisted suicide. With the application of Kant’s formulation, that would be morally impermissible. In addition, “For Kant, it is immoral for rational agents to renounce or violate their duties because they are the subjects of duty. Yet this is exactly what happens when individuals commit suicide; they renounce their subjugation to duty by destroying the being (i.e., the individual rational agent) through which duties are enacted. ” (Harter, p.170, 2011). To undergo any form of suicide that would relieve an individual from the perfect duties would be immoral according to Kant. Therefore, it would be immoral for Frank Van Den Bleeken to undergo physician-assisted suicide because it violates Kant’s perfect duties and it violates on the maxim that if it was universal