Politics and Policies in the Debate on Euthanasia

Politics and Policies in the Debate on Euthanasia

Author: Inês Santos Almeida

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2024-01-04

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 3031445880

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This book analyses the political and public debates about euthanasia in Portugal. Utilising petitions submitted to Parliament, legislative bills, parliamentary debates, opinion articles in newspapers, and documents published by the Catholic Church, it examines this sensitive issue through the theoretical lens of morality politics. It does so by studying the process of political dispute between advocacy coalitions formed by political parties and societal actors. This is the first book to comprehensively analyse a morality issue in Portugal, a predominantly Catholic country that has taken an innovative and liberal stance on many morality issues over the last two decades. It will appeal to students and scholars of sociology, political science, public policy and bioethics, as well as policymakers and other interest groups.


Book Synopsis Politics and Policies in the Debate on Euthanasia by : Inês Santos Almeida

Download or read book Politics and Policies in the Debate on Euthanasia written by Inês Santos Almeida and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2024-01-04 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyses the political and public debates about euthanasia in Portugal. Utilising petitions submitted to Parliament, legislative bills, parliamentary debates, opinion articles in newspapers, and documents published by the Catholic Church, it examines this sensitive issue through the theoretical lens of morality politics. It does so by studying the process of political dispute between advocacy coalitions formed by political parties and societal actors. This is the first book to comprehensively analyse a morality issue in Portugal, a predominantly Catholic country that has taken an innovative and liberal stance on many morality issues over the last two decades. It will appeal to students and scholars of sociology, political science, public policy and bioethics, as well as policymakers and other interest groups.

Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy

Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy

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.


Book Synopsis Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy by : John Keown

Download or read book Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy written by John Keown and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-04-25 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

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.


Book Synopsis The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia by : Neil M. Gorsuch

Download or read book The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia written by Neil M. Gorsuch and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2009-04-12 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Asking to Die: Inside the Dutch Debate about Euthanasia

Asking to Die: Inside the Dutch Debate about Euthanasia

Author: David C. Thomasma

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-04-08

Total Pages: 573

ISBN-13: 0306468638

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claim was that he had faced a conflict of duties pitting his legal duty not to kill against his duty as a physician to relieve his patient’s unbearable suffering. He was acquitted on the important grounds of conflict of duty. These grounds are based on a concept in Dutch law called "force majeure" 4 which recognizes extenuating circumstances such as conflicts of duty. The acquittal was upheld by the Lower Court of Alkmaar, but revoked by an Amsterdam court of appeal. The case went on to the Supreme Court, but before the Supreme Court's decision was issued, the Royal Dutch Medical Association (RDMA) attempted to clarify the criteria for euthanasia that many within the profession already accepted. The RDMA proposed that physicians be permitted to perform euthanasia provided that a set of procedures had been met. Variously stated, the guidelines contain the following central provisions: Voluntary, competent, explicit, and persistent requests on the part of the • patient; Requests based on full information; • The patient is in a situation of intolerable and hopeless suffering (either • physical or mental); No further acceptable alternatives to euthanasia. All alternatives • acceptable to the patient for relief of suffering having been tried; Consultation with at least one other physician whose judgment can be • 5 expected to be independent. Indirectly, these guidelines became the criteria prosecutors used to decide whether or not to bring charges.


Book Synopsis Asking to Die: Inside the Dutch Debate about Euthanasia by : David C. Thomasma

Download or read book Asking to Die: Inside the Dutch Debate about Euthanasia written by David C. Thomasma and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-04-08 with total page 573 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: claim was that he had faced a conflict of duties pitting his legal duty not to kill against his duty as a physician to relieve his patient’s unbearable suffering. He was acquitted on the important grounds of conflict of duty. These grounds are based on a concept in Dutch law called "force majeure" 4 which recognizes extenuating circumstances such as conflicts of duty. The acquittal was upheld by the Lower Court of Alkmaar, but revoked by an Amsterdam court of appeal. The case went on to the Supreme Court, but before the Supreme Court's decision was issued, the Royal Dutch Medical Association (RDMA) attempted to clarify the criteria for euthanasia that many within the profession already accepted. The RDMA proposed that physicians be permitted to perform euthanasia provided that a set of procedures had been met. Variously stated, the guidelines contain the following central provisions: Voluntary, competent, explicit, and persistent requests on the part of the • patient; Requests based on full information; • The patient is in a situation of intolerable and hopeless suffering (either • physical or mental); No further acceptable alternatives to euthanasia. All alternatives • acceptable to the patient for relief of suffering having been tried; Consultation with at least one other physician whose judgment can be • 5 expected to be independent. Indirectly, these guidelines became the criteria prosecutors used to decide whether or not to bring charges.

Debating Euthanasia

Debating Euthanasia

Author: Emily Jackson

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2011-12-02

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1847317715

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In this new addition to the 'Debating Law' series, Emily Jackson and John Keown re-examine the legal and ethical aspects of the euthanasia debate. Emily Jackson argues that we owe it to everyone in society to do all that we can to ensure that they experience a 'good death'. For a small minority of patients who experience intolerable and unrelievable suffering, this may mean helping them to have an assisted death. In a liberal society, where people's moral views differ, we should not force individuals to experience deaths they find intolerable. This is not an argument in favour of dying. On the contrary, Jackson argues that legalisation could extend and enhance the lives of people whose present fear of the dying process causes them overwhelming distress. John Keown argues that voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are gravely unethical and he defends their continued prohibition by law. He analyses the main arguments for relaxation of the law - including those which invoke the experience of jurisdictions which permit these practices - and finds them wanting. Relaxing the law would, he concludes, be both wrong in principle and dangerous in practice, not least for the dying, the disabled and the disadvantaged.


Book Synopsis Debating Euthanasia by : Emily Jackson

Download or read book Debating Euthanasia written by Emily Jackson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-12-02 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this new addition to the 'Debating Law' series, Emily Jackson and John Keown re-examine the legal and ethical aspects of the euthanasia debate. Emily Jackson argues that we owe it to everyone in society to do all that we can to ensure that they experience a 'good death'. For a small minority of patients who experience intolerable and unrelievable suffering, this may mean helping them to have an assisted death. In a liberal society, where people's moral views differ, we should not force individuals to experience deaths they find intolerable. This is not an argument in favour of dying. On the contrary, Jackson argues that legalisation could extend and enhance the lives of people whose present fear of the dying process causes them overwhelming distress. John Keown argues that voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are gravely unethical and he defends their continued prohibition by law. He analyses the main arguments for relaxation of the law - including those which invoke the experience of jurisdictions which permit these practices - and finds them wanting. Relaxing the law would, he concludes, be both wrong in principle and dangerous in practice, not least for the dying, the disabled and the disadvantaged.

The Euthanasia/Assisted-Suicide Debate

The Euthanasia/Assisted-Suicide Debate

Author: Demetra M. Pappas

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2012-09-20

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13:

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This revealing volume explores recent historical perspectives on the modern euthanasia and assisted-suicide debate and the political arenas in which it has unfolded. Emotional public responses to widely publicized right-to-die and euthanasia cases, such as those revolving around Dr. Jack Kevorkian and Terri Schiavo, highlight their volatile mix of medical, ethical, religious, legal, and public policy issues. The Euthanasia/Assisted-Suicide Debate explores how this debate has evolved over the past 100 years as judicial approaches, legislative responses, and prosecutorial practices have shifted as a result of changes in medical technology and consumer sophistication. Emphasizing the period from the 1950s forward, the book offers an unbiased examination of the origins of the modern medical euthanasia and assisted-suicide debates, the involvement of physicians, the history and significance of medical technology and practice, and the role of patients and their families in the ongoing controversy. This illuminating exploration of concepts, issues, and players will help readers understand both sides of the debate as viewed by participants.


Book Synopsis The Euthanasia/Assisted-Suicide Debate by : Demetra M. Pappas

Download or read book The Euthanasia/Assisted-Suicide Debate written by Demetra M. Pappas and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2012-09-20 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This revealing volume explores recent historical perspectives on the modern euthanasia and assisted-suicide debate and the political arenas in which it has unfolded. Emotional public responses to widely publicized right-to-die and euthanasia cases, such as those revolving around Dr. Jack Kevorkian and Terri Schiavo, highlight their volatile mix of medical, ethical, religious, legal, and public policy issues. The Euthanasia/Assisted-Suicide Debate explores how this debate has evolved over the past 100 years as judicial approaches, legislative responses, and prosecutorial practices have shifted as a result of changes in medical technology and consumer sophistication. Emphasizing the period from the 1950s forward, the book offers an unbiased examination of the origins of the modern medical euthanasia and assisted-suicide debates, the involvement of physicians, the history and significance of medical technology and practice, and the role of patients and their families in the ongoing controversy. This illuminating exploration of concepts, issues, and players will help readers understand both sides of the debate as viewed by participants.

Freedom to Die

Freedom to Die

Author: Derek Humphrey

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2000-04-17

Total Pages: 692

ISBN-13: 1429929669

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The strength of the right-to-die movement was underscored as early as 1991, when Derek Humphry published Final Exit, the movement's call to arms that inspired literally hundreds of thousands of Americans who wished to understand the concepts of assisted suicide and the right to die with dignity. Now Humphry has joined forces with attorney Mary Clement to write Freedom to Die, which places this civil rights story within the framework of American social history. More than a chronology of the movement, this book explores the inner motivations of an entire society. Reaching back to the years just after World War II, Freedom to Die explores the roots of the movement and answers the question: Why now, at the end of the twentieth century, has the right-to-die movement become part of the mainstream debate? In a reasoned voice, which stands out dramatically amid the vituperative clamoring of the religious right, the authors examine the potential dangers of assisted suicide - suggesting ways to avert the negative consequences of legalization - even as they argue why it should be legalized.


Book Synopsis Freedom to Die by : Derek Humphrey

Download or read book Freedom to Die written by Derek Humphrey and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2000-04-17 with total page 692 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The strength of the right-to-die movement was underscored as early as 1991, when Derek Humphry published Final Exit, the movement's call to arms that inspired literally hundreds of thousands of Americans who wished to understand the concepts of assisted suicide and the right to die with dignity. Now Humphry has joined forces with attorney Mary Clement to write Freedom to Die, which places this civil rights story within the framework of American social history. More than a chronology of the movement, this book explores the inner motivations of an entire society. Reaching back to the years just after World War II, Freedom to Die explores the roots of the movement and answers the question: Why now, at the end of the twentieth century, has the right-to-die movement become part of the mainstream debate? In a reasoned voice, which stands out dramatically amid the vituperative clamoring of the religious right, the authors examine the potential dangers of assisted suicide - suggesting ways to avert the negative consequences of legalization - even as they argue why it should be legalized.

Euthanasia in the Netherlands

Euthanasia in the Netherlands

Author: R. Cohen-Almagor

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-04-08

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 1402022514

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The Dutch experience has influenced the debate on euthanasia and death with dignity around the globe, especially with regard to whether physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia should be legitimized or legalized. A review of the literature reveals complex and often contradictory views about the Dutch experience. Some claim that the Netherlands offers a model for the world to follow; others believe that the Netherlands represents danger, rather than promise, and that the Dutch experience is the definitive answer regarding why we should not make active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide part of our lives. Given these contradictory views, it has become clear that fieldwork is essential to developing a more informed opinion. Having investigated the Dutch experience for a number of years, and after thoroughly reading the vast literature published in English, I went to the Netherlands for one month in the summer of 1999 to get a feel for the local situation. I felt that this would provide the basis on which I could better interpret the findings of the available literature. I visited the major centers of medical ethics, as well as some research hospitals, and spoke with leading figures in the euthanasia policy and practice. The time spent was extremely beneficial and enriching. I followed in the footsteps of Carlos Gomez, who 1 published a book following one month of extensive research in the Netherlands.


Book Synopsis Euthanasia in the Netherlands by : R. Cohen-Almagor

Download or read book Euthanasia in the Netherlands written by R. Cohen-Almagor and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-04-08 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Dutch experience has influenced the debate on euthanasia and death with dignity around the globe, especially with regard to whether physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia should be legitimized or legalized. A review of the literature reveals complex and often contradictory views about the Dutch experience. Some claim that the Netherlands offers a model for the world to follow; others believe that the Netherlands represents danger, rather than promise, and that the Dutch experience is the definitive answer regarding why we should not make active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide part of our lives. Given these contradictory views, it has become clear that fieldwork is essential to developing a more informed opinion. Having investigated the Dutch experience for a number of years, and after thoroughly reading the vast literature published in English, I went to the Netherlands for one month in the summer of 1999 to get a feel for the local situation. I felt that this would provide the basis on which I could better interpret the findings of the available literature. I visited the major centers of medical ethics, as well as some research hospitals, and spoke with leading figures in the euthanasia policy and practice. The time spent was extremely beneficial and enriching. I followed in the footsteps of Carlos Gomez, who 1 published a book following one month of extensive research in the Netherlands.

Euthanasia and Law in the Netherlands

Euthanasia and Law in the Netherlands

Author: John Griffiths

Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13: 9789053562758

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The Netherlands is the only country in the world in which euthanasia, under narrow-defined circumstances, is legally permissible. Considerable attention has been paid over a number of years to the problem of regulating it and information has been systematically collected concerning actual practice. Therefore the Dutch experience is of interest not only to the Dutch, but to anyone who is considering wether or not to make euthanasia a legal practice. This book is written for a reader without specific knowledge of law. The central focus of the book is on Dutch law pertaining to euthanansia, but it also considers the moral and legal principles that have played a role in the Dutch debate, the available evidence bearing on actual practice and on the effectiveness of legal control. It ends with some reflections on the problem of the 'slippery slope' and the question whether the Dutch experience is 'exportable'. It includes translations of the relevant legislation (including proposed reforms) and of three leading cases.


Book Synopsis Euthanasia and Law in the Netherlands by : John Griffiths

Download or read book Euthanasia and Law in the Netherlands written by John Griffiths and published by Amsterdam University Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Netherlands is the only country in the world in which euthanasia, under narrow-defined circumstances, is legally permissible. Considerable attention has been paid over a number of years to the problem of regulating it and information has been systematically collected concerning actual practice. Therefore the Dutch experience is of interest not only to the Dutch, but to anyone who is considering wether or not to make euthanasia a legal practice. This book is written for a reader without specific knowledge of law. The central focus of the book is on Dutch law pertaining to euthanansia, but it also considers the moral and legal principles that have played a role in the Dutch debate, the available evidence bearing on actual practice and on the effectiveness of legal control. It ends with some reflections on the problem of the 'slippery slope' and the question whether the Dutch experience is 'exportable'. It includes translations of the relevant legislation (including proposed reforms) and of three leading cases.

Introducing Political Philosophy

Introducing Political Philosophy

Author: Will Abel

Publisher:

Published: 2021-02-15

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 0198783272

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Book Synopsis Introducing Political Philosophy by : Will Abel

Download or read book Introducing Political Philosophy written by Will Abel and published by . This book was released on 2021-02-15 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: