Anscombe on Euthanasia as Murder

Abstract Anscombe asserted that murder ought to be prohibited absolutely and that voluntary euthanasia falls within the ‘core of the concept’ of murder. On this basis she argued that voluntary euthanasia ought to be prohibited absolutely. The argument as stated is valid. However, the first premise is difficult to demonstrate and the second is doubtful. Voluntary euthanasia lacks key elements of the paradigm case of murder and seems to lie on the border between murder and assisting suicide. Nevertheless, there are good reasons to prohibit the encouragement of suicide and good reasons to believe that acceptance of voluntary euthanasia implies acceptance of some cases of non-voluntary euthanasia. Hence, Anscombe’s argument is justified, though via a less direct route. Legalising voluntary euthanasia leads, both logically and in practice, to murder, in the sense of killing people without their request or consent, and this is a good reason to maintain its prohibition.