Publication Date
Spring 5-2026
School
Helms School of Government; School of Business
Major
Business Administration; Government: Pre-Law
Keywords
physician-assisted suicide, PAS, medical-aid-in-dying, MAID, physician-assisted death, PAD, biblical worldview, vulnerable populations
Disciplines
Bioethics and Medical Ethics | Health Law and Policy | Law
Recommended Citation
Holcombe, Adeline, "Preserving Life in an Age of Autonomy: A Critique of Physician-Assisted Suicide" (2026). Senior Honors Theses. 1595.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1595
Abstract
This thesis critiques physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as a reflection of Western thought’s shift from a biblical sanctity-of-life ethic toward autonomy and relativism. Through analysis of biblical and historical foundations, major cases, and state PAS laws, it argues that legalization weakens the state’s interest in preserving life, normalizes suicide, and exposes vulnerable populations to coercion, inadequate safeguards, and legal expansion. The thesis concludes that PAS laws should be repealed and that palliative care, hospice, and mental health treatment provide more compassionate and ethically sound alternatives.
