If we do not struggle with each case as it presents itself, we do not sufficiently honor the dignity of human life. But certain ethical principles can guide us in that struggle. According to this principle, human dignity rests in the ability to make and to execute decisions based on one's own values and plans. In health care, autonomy requires that the patient be treated as a person with values, goals, plans, and commitments. Autonomy serves to protect individual decision making and to require that a patient s decisions be respected.
Beneficence simply means doing good.
These principles undergird the discussion in the following articles, which tackle some of the most pressing issues confronting us in the death with dignity debate. Michael J. Meyer explores the ethical questions raised by assisted suicide, recently argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The legalities of executing these documents are explained by nurse and attorney Karen Markus. Complicating the discussion of death with dignity is the concern that patients seeking to end their lives may be suffering from depression and that this mood disorder may affect their ability to make decisions. Physician Melinda Lee presents a case that should help readers work through this problem.