As for the subject of the article, it recalls Chesterton in Heretics.
"At any innocent tea-table we may easily hear a man say, "Life is not worth living." We regard it as we regard the statement that it is a fine day; nobody thinks that it can possibly have any serious effect on the man or on the world. And yet if that utterance were really believed, the world would stand on its head. Murderers would be given medals for saving men from life; firemen would be denounced for keeping men from death; poisons would be used as medicines; doctors would be called in when people were well; the Royal Humane Society would be rooted out like a horde of assassins. Yet we never speculate as to whether the conversational pessimist will strengthen or disorganize society; for we are convinced that theories do not matter. "
Chesterton was clever...clever enough that I think that he intentionally twisted and conflated the individual with the generic.
I think Socrates beat them to the punch, “the unexamined life is not worth living for a rational man.”
Good choice of quotations..But i’d look deeper..For Socrates, i’d reply that a Rational Man always examines his life, and in doing so he can always find meaning in his life. Socrates certainly left a lasting mark on civilization by his questioning which led to Plato’s inquiries including his views on coming into the Light. which has very deep meaning on several planes..
For Chesterton, being such an uncommonably commonsensical fellow, i’d say let the patient follow the route of the Choices he confronted..For example- who made the choice that he be born to begin with?..Not his parents- they were just the instruments brought together..But Who gave him Life, and then allowed him free will to live his life as he wished?..
To nitpick over wording of assisted suicide Laws completely ignores these very questions of Who, what and Why ?..A rational person, even in terminal pain- which can usually be dulled or blunted ny modern medicine-can and should be able to conclude that they were born for a reason, that they did their part by living, and that every person on earth should be able to die naturally and with dignity so as to be able to return to the Author of all Life...At the end you have 2 choices: to live, for that is the most natural thing to do, or to die and go into the unknown...By choosing life, he would still have more choices he could follow in order to die a peaceful natural death, unafraid of facing the void. and hopefully confident of finding a just reward for his life on earth..