Which statements describe arguments in favor of active voluntary euthanasia?

• A. Autonomy supports voluntary euthanasia.
• B. Beneficence supports voluntary euthanasia.
• C. Autonomy and Beneficence together support voluntary euthanasia.
• D. Neither Autonomy nor Beneficence supports voluntary euthanasia.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that both respecting a patient’s autonomous choice and acting to relieve their suffering can jointly justify active voluntary euthanasia. Autonomy supports euthanasia because a competent, well-informed patient who freely requests it has the right to make decisions about their own life, including ending it to avoid unbearable suffering. Beneficence supports it because the goal is to promote the patient’s well-being and relieve harm; if continued life would mean continued intolerable suffering, helping the patient die can be seen as acting in their best interests. When these principles are combined, the patient’s voluntary request aligns with the ethical aim of reducing suffering, making the action ethically supportable. Relying on autonomy alone can raise questions of capacity or coercion, while beneficence alone might risk overriding patient values; together they provide a stronger, more consistent justification for active voluntary euthanasia.