Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

E thics Action which ends a life. Killing a human being has always been regarded as the greatest moral evil , and the right to life has been regarded as the most fundamental human right . The injunction not to kill an innocent person is the oldest and most universal moral maxim. In ancient societies, this maxim applied only to one's own community . Under Christianity, it was extended to all human beings, because all humans were regarded as having an immortal soul . Modern moral theory justifies the inviolability of human life in terms of our human dignity as rational beings. Traditionally, killing has been justified only in a just war and as capital punishment , although both of these grounds have been challenged. The principle that forbids killing provides fundamental support for the anti- abortion and anti- euthanasia movements. Disputes in this area have led to controversies about the scope and limits of this principle. Contemporary animal rights campaigners attempt to extend the principle to protect sentient non-human animals and claim, controversially, that killing animals is morally wrong. “Killing in self-defence is an exception to a general rule making killing punishable.” Hart, Punishment and Responsibility ... log in or subscribe to read full text