儒家如何看待主動安樂死問題——基於自殺是否“可欲之善”的分析

Is Suicide a “Desirable Good”? A Confucian View of Active Euthanasia

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.

在生命的終末期，為避免疾病帶來的身體痛苦和精神折磨，由本人自主實施或在自主意識支配下尋求他人協助結束自我生命的行為，構成醫學上的主動安樂死的重要條件，而這種意義上的“主動安樂死”也是一種自殺行為。從天道在“生”的價值立場出發，儒家一般反對自殺。自殺不合天道、違背天命，與生命存在的自然使命與目的相悖。但儒家亦承認在特定情況下，自殺亦是一種可欲之善。在生死問題上，儒家總體上持一種“順天休命”的超然心態，肯定合乎天道的“生”，也讚賞合于天道的“死”。從這種觀點出發，儒家對主動安樂死會持允許的態度。

The act of ending one’s own life, done independently or with assistance sought from others, to avoid the physical pain and mental torture caused by diseases constitutes an important condition for active euthanasia in medical practice. In this sense, active euthanasia is also a form of suicidal behaviour. In this paper, the author contends that Confucianism generally opposes suicide from the perspective of life in light of the way of heaven, as it is against the will of heaven and contrary to the natural process and purpose of life. Nevertheless, Confucianism also acknowledges that in certain circumstances, suicide can be permitted as a desirable good. The paper concludes by observing that Confucianism holds a detached attitude of “obeying the will of heaven and avoiding one’s fate” with regard to the issue of life and death, affirming the “life” that conforms to the way of heaven while also appreciating the “death” that conforms to the way of heaven. Accordingly, Confucianism would approve of active euthanasia as a way of death that embodies “dying to the fullest extent”.