Abstract

In this chapter moves the focus towards the idea of Moral Responsibility. By dwelling on the concept of autonomy and medical decision-making capacity, the chapter poses the question of whether the existence of the amputation desire affects the autonomous status of the individual, and if so, to what extent. The chapters lay down the foundation to develop a better understanding of the implication of distinguishing Body Integrity Dysphoria (BID) amputation as elective in nature versus classifying it as non-elective. Such a distinction is crucial, as depending on its categorisation, the legitimacy of the request shifts. The chapter also sets the stage for a better understanding of moral responsibility, including the moral significance of actions and what it means to have moral agency. Building on this framework, the chapter questions whether the desire for amputation in BID cases could be a form of coercion, which would impact the person’s autonomy and exclude amputation from being considered as a possible therapeutic approach. If such coercive influence is excluded, the reason for refusing to perform amputation must necessarily be nested somewhere else.