Aiding the Impermissible? Kant and the Morality of Medical Assistance in Dying

This paper examines the morality of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Kantian ethics. I argue that it is much harder than is often acknowledged to rule MAID out, even given Kant’s prohibition on suicide. Kant’s non-consequentialism entails that providing MAID does not aid the patient’s duty violation. Moreover, Kant’s distinction between public and private reason provides resources for arguing that those who provide MAID are not complicit with that violation either, at least in jurisdictions in which there is a public mandate. On my reading, the ethical permissibility of providing MAID is largely determined by its legal status.