Freedom vs Mercy in Assisted Death

Kathleen Stock argues that the public case for medically assisted death actually bundles two distinct claims — a liberty claim (autonomy over one’s body) and a mercy claim (relief from suffering) — and that the liberty strand is philosophically weak while the mercy strand points to different policy remedies like better palliative care. She contends that legalising assisted death reshapes medical institutions and creates practical risks that advocates underappreciate. — Recasting the debate around these two distinct frames changes which evidence, institutions, and trade‑offs matter for law and public health policy on end‑of‑life care.