# Libertarian Debate: Contrasting Libertarian Views on Medical Aid in Dying Legislation 

*As libertarian thinker Murray Rothbard wrote, no one can ‘rid himself of his own will, which may change in future years, and repudiate the current arrangement.’*

January 7, 2026 • News Releases 

In a recent op-ed, Cato Institute scholar [Dr. Jeffrey Singer](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Fjeffrey-singer/1/0100019b994a972b-8f891902-efde-40a5-b761-954d31250537-000000/M0u5wU4U_wTdm8p6uNOcEm_KVLw=460___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjM3NjNhNmFkMGNlNWQzMmNhMTYzMzI5MDdlNTExMzc4Ojc6MzVkODoyYmE5YTc5ZWNhMDcyYWZhOWFhOThlYTM0NTY0MDA2MDAzYWMzMzE0MTUwY2M2ZWNkNTMyYmIyM2VjZDkwNDA0Omg6VDpO) wrote about his [perspective](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.nydailynews.com*2F2026*2F01*2F03*2Fautonomy-at-the-end-of-a-persons-life*2F/1/0100019b994a972b-8f891902-efde-40a5-b761-954d31250537-000000/W2ROBGa07hGOEUTGIUe89udXbEM=460___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjM3NjNhNmFkMGNlNWQzMmNhMTYzMzI5MDdlNTExMzc4Ojc6ZDBlMzplNmU5ZjZlYjlmMmUwZTAxZjU5OGU3NjgwNDk3MWE3YWRiODRkMzM0ZWJiNjMyNTQ3N2VlZDRkZTI4ZTg5N2EzOmg6VDpO) on New York’s pending legalization of Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) through a conventional libertarian argument. However, Cato Institute legal scholar [Matthew Cavedon](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Fmatthew-cavedon/1/0100019b994a972b-8f891902-efde-40a5-b761-954d31250537-000000/bmrvWRopPJwGbYARg0eVB7hZQek=460___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjM3NjNhNmFkMGNlNWQzMmNhMTYzMzI5MDdlNTExM%20zc4Ojc6NGRkYTo2OTQ0NGQyNDZmMzlmODBkYmNkZjlkNDcwZGNkYmYyNmU5NTEzYmEwODgxMjg0N2M1YzljY2JjMzNlYjcyYjIxOmg6VDpO) offers a different libertarian viewpoint, writing in part:

> *“As libertarian thinker Murray Rothbard wrote, no one can ‘rid himself of his own will, which may change in future years, and repudiate the current arrangement.’*
> 
> *For me, that’s the crux of the matter: libertarianism accepts certain guardrails on people’s present liberty in order to preserve their future liberty, and it’s entirely consistent with that principle to oppose the legalization of MAiD.”*

To speak with Cavedon further about the legalization of MAiD, contact [Christopher Tarvardian](mailto:ctarvardian@cato.org).

[![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) 
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).