An Ethical Right to Life: A Formulation from a Buberian Dialogical Perspective

by Manfred H. Vogel

Overview

This work focuses on the issue of an ethical right to life. Its aim is to formulate a persuasive answer the question: What attribute can endow an entity with an ethical right to not have its existence terminated? In pursuing this objective, this work manifests three distinctive features. The first regards the delineation of the ethical enterprise. The second identifies self-consciousness as the attribute that endows an entity with an ethical right to life (this entity being the human entity, being that only the human entity possesses self-consciousness). Finally, the third feature lies in the kind of conclusion at which we can arrive, in the light of the foregoing two features, regarding the various issues implicating the termination of life such as abortion, euthanasia, suicide, assistant-suicide, and capital punishment. The issue of an ethical right to life is heavily politicized and divisive in Western societies. The reflections and analyses offered in An Ethical Right to Life contribute a much-needed clarification to the on-going discussion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761830085
Publisher:	Hamilton Books
Publication date:	06/30/2004
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	7.18(w) x 8.36(h) x 0.92(d)

About the Author

Manfred H. Vogel is Professor of Religious Philosophy at Northwestern University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 The Nature and Parameters of the Ethical Enterprise Chapter 3 Justifying the Claim to an Ethical Right to Life Chapter 4 Some Issues Impacting the Ethical Right to Life: Abortion; Infanticide; Euthanasia; Capital Punishment; Suicide and Assisted Suicide; A Concluding Remark Chapter 5 Literature Cited Chapter 6 About the Author