Chapter 17. Dealing with Death: Euthanasia and Related Issues
- John Bryant Professor1,
- Dr Linda Baggott la Velle2,
- Revd Dr John Searle3
Published Online: 18 APR 2002
DOI: 10.1002/0470846593.ch17
Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Book Title
Bioethics for Scientists
Additional Information
How to Cite
Searle, J. (2002) Dealing with Death: Euthanasia and Related Issues, in Bioethics for Scientists (eds J. Bryant, L. B. la Velle and J. Searle), John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK. doi: 10.1002/0470846593.ch17
Editor Information
- 1
School of Biological Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- 2
Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- 3
Exeter & District Hospice, Exeter, UK
Publication History
- Published Online: 18 APR 2002
- Published Print: 31 MAR 2002
ISBN Information
Print ISBN: 9780471495321
Online ISBN: 9780470846599
- Summary
- Chapter
Keywords:
- autonomy;
- brain-stem death;
- conjoined twins;
- death;
- euthanasia;
- hospice;
- life;
- permanent vegetative state;
- resuscitation;
- treatment
Summary
Modern medicine has brought huge benefits to human beings especially in the developed world. For many people life expectancy has been extended with a good quality of life. But with this has come the ability to sustain life when there is little or no prospect of recovery or of anything approaching a reasonable quality of life. Dying is being prolonged. Doctors and other health-workers have three duties in the face of this dilemma. First, to maintain a person's right to life, secondly to preserve their right to die and thirdly to distinguish between the two. It is against this background that individual decisions need to be made on when it is inappropriate to continue treatment. Further, society must make up its (collective) mind about whether a person's right to die should permit voluntary euthanasia, a practice for which both proponents and opponents can marshal cogent and logical arguments.