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1、ConfucianEthicofDeathwithDignityandItsContemporaryRelevancePing-cheungLoAbstractThispaperadvancesthreeclaims.First,accordingtocontemporaryWesternadvocatesofphysician-assisted-suicideandvoluntaryeuthanasia,"deathwithdignity"isunderstoodnegativelyasbrin~ngaboutdeathtoavoidorpreventindignity,t
2、hatis,toavoidadegradingexistence.Second,thereisasimilarmorallyaffirmativeviewondeathwithdignityinancientChina,inclassicalConfucianisminparticular.Third,thereisconsonanceaswellasdissonancebetweenthesetwoethicsofdeathwithdignity,suchthattheConfucianperspectivewouldregardtheargumentforphysicia
3、n-assisted-suicideandvoluntaryeuthanasiaaslessthancompellingbecauseofthelatter'simpoverishedvisionofhumanlife.IntroductionIwanttomakethreeclaimsinthispaper.Tobeginwith,thereareseveralmajorargumentsinfavorofphysician-assistedsuicideandvoluntaryeuthanasia(abbreviatedasPASandVBbelow)intheconte
4、mporarydebateintheWest.Thereismuchdiscussionontheargumentsfromautonomyandfromcompassion,butnotmuchontheargumentfromdeathwithdignityasanindependentargumentIsubmitthataccordingtotheadvocatesofPASandVB,tobeexplainedinalatersection,"deathwithdignity"istobeunderstoodnegativelyasbringingaboutdeat
5、htoavoidorpreventindignity,thatis,toavoidextremehumiliationoradegradingexistence.Thisistheftrstclaim.ThesecondisthatAnnualojtheSocietyojChristianEthics19(1999):313-333314TheAnnualoftheSocietyofChristianEthicsthereisasimilarmorallyaffirmativeviewondeathwithdignityinancientChina,inclassicalCo
6、nfucianisminparticular.ThethirdclaimisthatthereisconsonanceaswellasdissonancebetweenthesetwoethicsofdeathwithdignityandthattheConfucianperspectivewoulddeemthePASandVEdeathwithdignityargumentaslessthancompellingbecauseofitsimpoverishedvisionofhumanlife.AfewqualificationsareinorderbeforeIproc
7、eed.First,indiscussingPASandVEmymajorconcernisnotwithpublicpolicyorlaw,whichinvolvefactorsotherthanthemoralstatusoftheactsofPASandVE.InthispaperIwillfocusontheright-makingandwrong-makingcharacteristicsoftheseactsintheirproper.circumstances.Second,thisisn