Robert P. George and William C. Porth Jr.

In the following viewpoint, Robert P. George and William C. Porth Jr. refute Ernest van den Haag’s argument in the preceding viewpoint that individuals have a right to commit suicide. George and Porth contend that the right to life is fundamental and inalienable. Moreover, the authors maintain, a human being cannot be owned, not even by oneself; therefore, they argue, individuals do not have the right to kill themselves. George is a lawyer who teaches legal and political theory at Princeton University in New Jersey. Porth is a lawyer and writer.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What reasons do the authors give to support their contention that people cannot be owned?
2. If society recognizes the right to assisted suicide, who should help with such suicides, according...