Abstract
The 1920 essay by German attorney Karl Binding and psychiatrist Alfred Hoche, “Permitting the Destruction of Life Unworthy of Life,” is often characterized as a stepping-stone toward the Nazi genocide policies. A careful review of Binding and Hoche’s arguments does reveal elements that foreshadow Nazi thinking, but it also contains points that fail to parallel-or that directly contradict-Nazi death practices. A proper ethical and historical analysis of this work requires a more nuanced discussion than it often receives.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 500-511 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Perspectives in Biology and Medicine |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 11 2014 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Policy
- Issues, ethics and legal aspects
- History and Philosophy of Science