Human Dignity and ethical Evaluation of Decisions at the End of Life on the Example of inner-Islamic Positions

Abstract

In value-pluralistic societies, the question arises in how far the concept of human dignity can offer a shared ethical basis as a central norm applicable to the resolution of medical ethical and bioethical conflicts in intercultural treatment situations at the end of life. It is in this perspective that the present article describes the Islamic theological foundations of human dignity and analyzes the normative implications of this term with regard to ethical issues at the end of life. Subsequently, some theses are proposed regarding the ethical assessment of medical interventions at the end of life, including a critical reflection about problematic points in the inner-Islamic debate. The resulting arguments and reflections on the status of the human dignity concept at the end of life are to be understood as a contribution to the international debate in medical ethics.