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Should coercive treatment be made illegal?

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Should coercive treatment be made illegal? Coercive treatment is the administration of treatment (e.g. medicines into a human body or electroshocks) against the will of the human, e.g. in the case of patients with mentally anomalous conditions such as psychosis (delusions, hallucinations). Involuntary treatment is a broader category since it encompasses e.g. treatment of someone in a coma.

Coercive treatment should be made illegal

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Pro

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  •   Pro Forced medication is a worse violation of human autonomy than imprisonment. Therefore, those subjected to involuntary medication are treated worse than actual criminals. That is unacceptable.
  •   Pro Expanding on the above, electroshocks are no better than forced substance intake. They were criticized by the American classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.

Con

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  •   Con Those who are in the risk of harming themselves need medical help.
    •   Objection Not against their will; that is a violation of their human autonomy.
    •   Objection Each person has the right to take their own life since they alone are the rightful owners of their own life. A state that violates a bodily and mental autonomy of a person in the name of their protection engages in a grave act of despotism. See also Should suicide be legal?
  •   Con Those who are in the risk of harming others need to be prevented from doing so.
    •   Objection True, but only by legitimate means, such as incanceration (limiting of freedom of movement). Violation of bodily autonomy and integrity and violation of mental autonomy and integrity is not a legitimate means.

See also

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Further reading

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