Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy

Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy PDF

Author: John Keown

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2002-04-25

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13: 9780521009331

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Whether the law should permit voluntary euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide is one of the most vital questions facing all modern societies. Internationally, the main obstacle to legalisation has proved to be the objection that, even if they were morally acceptable in certain 'hard cases', voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide could not be effectively controlled; society would slide down a 'slippery slope' to the killing of patients who did not make a free and informed request, or for whom palliative care would have offered an alternative. How cogent is this objection? This book provides the general reader (who need have no expertise in philosophy, law or medicine) with a lucid introduction to this central question in the debate, not least by reviewing the Dutch euthanasia experience. It will interest all in any country whether currently for or against legalisation, who wish to ensure that their opinions are better informed.

Last Rights?

Last Rights? PDF

Author: Michael M. Uhlmann

Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 696

ISBN-13:

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This rich and comprehensive anthology of primary sources is the essential reference work for anyone interested in understanding the arguments--moral, theological, medical, and legal-- on both sides of the assisted suicide and euthanasia debate.

The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia PDF

Author: Neil M. Gorsuch

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2009-04-12

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0691140979

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After assessing the strengths and weaknesses of arguments for assisted suicide and euthanasia, Gorsuch builds a nuanced, novel, and powerful moral and legal argument against legalization, one based on a principle that, surprisingly, has largely been overlooked in the debate; the idea that human life is intrinsically valuable and that intentional killing is always wrong. At the same time, the argument Gorsuch develops leaves wide latitude for individual patient autonomy and the refusal of unwanted medical treatment and life-sustaining care, permitting intervention only in cases where an intention to kill is present.

Euthanasia and the Ethics of a Doctor’s Decisions

Euthanasia and the Ethics of a Doctor’s Decisions PDF

Author: Ole Hartling

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-03-25

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1350186236

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Why do so many doctors have profound misgivings about the push to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide? Ole Hartling uses his background as a physician, university professor and former chairman of the Danish Council of Ethics to introduce new elements into what can often be understood as an all too simple debate. Alive to the case that assisted dying can be driven by an unattainable yearning for control, Hartling concentrates on two fundamental questions: whether the answer to suffering is to remove the sufferer, and whether self-determination in dying and death is an illusion. He draws on his own experience as a medical doctor to personalize the ethical arguments, share patients' narratives and make references to medical literature. Here is a sceptical stance towards euthanasia, one that is respectful to those who hold different opinions and well-informed about the details and nuances of different euthanasia practices. Written from a Scandinavian perspective, where respect for autonomy and high quality palliative care go hand in hand, Hartling's is a nuanced, valuable contribution to the arguments that surround a question doctors have faced since the birth of medicine. He shows us how the intentions of doing something good can sometimes lead to even greater dilemmas, opening us up to those situations where an inclination to end suffering by ending life is deeply conflicting both for the clinician and for any fellow human being.

Physician-Assisted Death

Physician-Assisted Death PDF

Author: James M. Humber

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 1994-02-04

Total Pages: 159

ISBN-13: 1592594484

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Physician-Assisted Death is the eleventh volume of Biomedical Ethics Reviews. We, the editors, are pleased with the response to the series over the years and, as a result, are happy to continue into a second decade with the same general purpose and zeal. As in the past, contributors to projected volumes have been asked to summarize the nature of the literature, the prevailing attitudes and arguments, and then to advance the discussion in some way by staking out and arguing forcefully for some basic position on the topic targeted for discussion. For the present volume on Physician-Assisted Death, we felt it wise to enlist the services of a guest editor, Dr. Gregg A. Kasting, a practicing physician with extensive clinical knowledge of the various problems and issues encountered in discussing physician assisted death. Dr. Kasting is also our student and just completing a graduate degree in philosophy with a specialty in biomedical ethics here at Georgia State University. Apart from a keen interest in the topic, Dr. Kasting has published good work in the area and has, in our opinion, done an excellent job in taking on the lion's share of editing this well-balanced and probing set of essays. We hope you will agree that this volume significantly advances the level of discussion on physician-assisted euthanasia. Incidentally, we wish to note that the essays in this volume were all finished and committed to press by January 1993.

Regulating how We Die

Regulating how We Die PDF

Author: Linda L. Emanuel

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 9780674666542

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Addressing the subject of euthanasia, medical ethicist Dr. Linda Emanuel assembles testimony from leading experts to provide not only a clear account of the arguments for and against physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia--but also historical, empirical, and legal perspectives on this complex and often heart-rending issue.

The Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics

The Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics PDF

Author: Peter A. Singer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2008-01-31

Total Pages: 477

ISBN-13: 1139468219

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Medicine and health care generate many bioethical problems and dilemmas that are of great academic, professional and public interest. This comprehensive resource is designed as a succinct yet authoritative text and reference for clinicians, bioethicists, and advanced students seeking a better understanding of ethics problems in the clinical setting. Each chapter illustrates an ethical problem that might be encountered in everyday practice; defines the concepts at issue; examines their implications from the perspectives of ethics, law and policy; and then provides a practical resolution. There are 10 key sections presenting the most vital topics and clinically relevant areas of modern bioethics. International, interdisciplinary authorship and cross-cultural orientation ensure suitability for a worldwide audience. This book will assist all clinicians in making well-reasoned and defensible decisions by developing their awareness of ethical considerations and teaching the analytical skills to deal with them effectively.

New Directions in the Ethics of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

New Directions in the Ethics of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia PDF

Author: Michael Cholbi

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-03-03

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 3031253159

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This book provides novel perspectives on ethical justifiability of assisted dying in the revised edition of New Directions in the Ethics of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. Going significantly beyond traditional debates about the value of human life, the ethical significance of individual autonomy, the compatibility of assisted dying with the ethical obligations of medical professionals, and questions surrounding intention and causation, this book promises to shift the terrain of the ethical debates about assisted dying. The novel themes discussed in the revised edition include the role of markets, disability, gender, artificial intelligence, medical futility, race, and transhumanism. Ideal for advanced courses in bioethics and healthcare ethics, the book illustrates how social and technological developments will shape debates about assisted dying in the years to come.

Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die

Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die PDF

Author: Barry Rosenfeld

Publisher: Amer Psychological Assn

Published: 2004-01-01

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 9781591471028

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In Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die: the Interface of Social Science, Public Policy, and Medical Ethics, Barry Rosenfeld examines how social science can inform policy and practice in the ongoing debates on end-of-life matters. While moral and ethical aspects of the controversy may not be the domain of science, many questions are amenable to scientific study, including the degree to which untreated pain or depression fuel requests for assisted suicide.

Hobbesian Applied Ethics and Public Policy

Hobbesian Applied Ethics and Public Policy PDF

Author: Shane D. Courtland

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-20

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 1315534398

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Most philosophers and political scientists readily admit that Thomas Hobbes is a significant figure in the history of political thought. His theory was, arguably, one of the first to provide a justification for political legitimacy from the perspective of each individual subject. Many excellent books and articles have examined the justification and structure of Hobbes’ commonwealth, ethical system, and interpretation of Christianity. What is troubling is that the Hobbesian project has been largely missing in the applied ethics and public policy literature. We often find applications of Kantian deontology, Bentham’s or Mill’s utilitarianism, Rawls’s contractualism, the ethics of care, and various iterations of virtue ethics. Hobbesian accounts are routinely ignored and often derided. This is unfortunate because Hobbes’s project offers a unique perspective. To ignore it, when such a perspective would be fruitful to apply to another set of theoretical questions, is a problem in need of a remedy. This volume seeks to eliminate (or, at the very least, partially fill) this gap in the literature. Not only will this volume appeal to those that are generally familiar with Hobbesian scholarship, it will also appeal to a variety of readers that are largely unfamiliar with Hobbes.