The UK parliament’s assisted dying bill recently passed its second reading in the House of Commons, with 330 votes in favour and 275 against. But the bill still has several hurdles to overcome before it becomes law. It is currently being scrutinised, line by line, ahead of the next parliamentary vote in April.
Many people oppose the bill on the grounds that the risks of coercion are too high. The bill’s opponents make much of this point. But as an ethical philosopher who researches the values of life and death, I think it’s worth asking what exactly is coercion? Where might we encounter it? And is it as bad as it sounds?
Check a dictionary and it seems that coercion involves force, threats, physical pressure and compulsion. But the widespread concern with assisted dying is about something subtler. It’s about illegitimate influence – effective yet often disguised – on someone’s actions.
