This book presents an atheistic case against the legalization of assisted suicide. Critical of both sides of the argument, it questions the assumptions behind the discussion. Yuill shows that our attitudes towards suicide – not euthanasia – are most important to our attitudes towards assisted suicide.

"Kevin Yuill goes straight to the heart of a difficult issue. Critical of both sides of the discussion, this book presents an up-to-date analysis of the direction discussion is taking, showing that atheists, libertarians, those favouring abortion rights and stem-cell research should stand beside their religious compatriots in opposing legalization of assisted suicide. The author shows that the real issue behind the debate is not euthanasia but suicide. Rather than focusing on tragic cases, he indicates the real damage that will be done if we affirm the suicidal wishes of even a small segment of the population. Analyzing the movement for the right to die in historical terms, Yuill shows that, though many proponents of a change in the law believe they are rationalist heirs of such thinkers as John Stuart Mill, legalizing assisted suicide will reduce privacy and freedom. Finally, Yuill suggests a radical alternative to legalization of assisted suicide that would embrace both the cause of freedom and the anxieties of many about securing good deaths"-

This book presents an atheistic case against the legalization of assisted suicide. Critical of both sides of the argument, it questions the assumptions behind the discussion. Yuill shows that our attitudes towards suicide – not euthanasia – are most important to our attitudes towards assisted suicide.

This open access book has been written by ten Belgian health care professionals, nurses, university professors and doctors specializing in palliative care and ethicists who, together, raise questions concerning the practice of euthanasia. They share their experiences and reflections born out of their confrontation with requests for euthanasia and end-of-life support in a country where euthanasia has been decriminalized since 2002 and is now becoming a trivial topic.Far from evoking any militancy, these stories of life and death present the other side of a reality needs to be evaluated more rigorously.Featuring multidisciplinary perspectives, this though-provoking and original book is intended not only for caregivers but also for anyone who questions the meaning of death and suffering, as well as the impact of a law passed in 2002. Presenting real-world cases and experiences, it highlights the complexity of situations and the consequences of the euthanasia law.This book appeals to palliative care providers, hematologists, oncologists, psychiatrists, nurses and health professionals as well as researchers, academics, policy-makers, and social scientists working in health care. It is also a unique resource for those in countries where the decriminalization of euthanasia is being considered. Sometimes shocking, it focuses on facts and lived experiences to challenge readers and offer insights into euthanasia in Belgium.

This book analyses assisted death in the philosophical context of biopolitics, searching for the form of resistance which would not produce ‘bare life’ and would not exclude marginalized social groups. A great deal of the criticism of euthanasia from pro-life movements associates this term with the Nazi practice of eugenics, and this book considers the inescapability of the Holocaust in this regard, while also moving the discussion on assisted death in new directions.

This book provides a comprehensive and contemporary examination of the right-to-die issues facing society now that vast improvements in public health care and medicine have resulted in people not only living longer but taking much longer to die—often in great pain and suffering. In 1900, the average age at which people died in America was 47 years of age; the primary causes of death were tuberculosis and other respiratory illnesses. In the 21st century, as a result of better health care and working conditions as well as advances in medical technology, we live much longer—as of 2016, about 80 years. A much larger proportion of Americans now die from chronic diseases that generally appear at an advanced age, such as heart disease, cancer, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Should this fundamental change in human lifespan alter how society and government view right-to-die legislation? What are the pros and cons of giving a mentally competent person who is terminally ill and in great pain the right to end his or her life? The Right to Die: A Reference Handbook provides a complete examination of right-to-die issues in the United States that dissects the complex arguments for and against a person's liberty to receive a physician's assistance to hasten death. It covers the legal aspects and the politics of the right-to-die controversy, analyzes the battles over the right to die in state and federal courts, and supplies primary source documents that illustrate the political, medical, legal, religious, and ethical landscape of the right to die. Additionally, the book examines how members of our society typically die has changed in the past 150 years and how the practice of medicine has evolved over that time; explains why the right to die is strongly opposed by many religious groups as well as members of the medical profession; considers the "slippery slope" argument against doctor-assisted suicide; and identifies the reasons that the disabled, the poor, the elderly and infirm, and some members of ethnic, racial, and religious minority groups typically fear physician-assisted death.

“This is a book to be read by all involved in either side of this heated debate.” Dr C Fourcade, President of the French Association for Palliative Care, France "This powerful collection of essays brilliantly unpacks the legal, ethical and practical issues around the assisted dying debate.” Jonathan Herring, Professor of Law, University of Oxford, UK “This is an essential exploration of the complexities behind the sound bites.” Baroness Campbell of Surbiton DBE, UK “A much needed, timely compendium covering the main issues underlying and surrounding Assisted Dying.” Robert Twycross, Past Head, WHO Collaborative Centre for Palliative Care, Oxford, UK "Wherever your views lie on … assisted dying, you should read this book.” Dr Matt Morgan, Professor of Intensive Care, Cardiff University, UK, and Curtin University, Australia At a critical moment in the UK debate, this book provides up-to-date reflections from a broad variety of international experts on the profoundly important issues that surround changes in the law in any jurisdiction in connection with assisted dying and considers the realities that surround such changes. The Reality of Assisted Dying covers all the important issues in the debates about assisted suicide and euthanasia. This includes thoughts on the role of the law, discussion of important philosophical and ethical concepts, investigating the various issues that arise in the practice of medicine and palliative care, and scrutinizing concerns about definitions, coercion, consequences and safety. This book: Provides up-to-date data, evidence and reflections from professionals from countries where assisted dying has been legalized; Takes a fresh look at the arguments around legalization of assisted dying; Shows how a change in the law must take account of all those who will be affected, including families and those who will feel compelled to participate by assisting suicides or performing euthanasia; Shows the problems and dangers of embedding assisted dying within healthcare, and explores how alternative socio-legal procedures would improve legitimacy and monitoring for patients and their families. The book is relevant to a variety of intellectual disciplines and to political and social debates both in the UK and internationally, as well as being of interest to general readers and students studying the many relevant subjects, from medicine, to law, sociology, politics, philosophy and ethics. Julian C. Hughes has studied and been a professor of both philosophy and of old age psychiatry. He was an NHS consultant in old age psychiatry and served as deputy chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, UK. His most recent book was Dementia and Ethics Reconsidered, published by Open University Press. Ilora G. Finlay is a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords, an honorary professor of palliative medicine at Cardiff University, UK, past President of the BMA and the Royal Society of Medicine. A founder director of Living and Dying Well, she co-authored Death by Appointment and led on legislation to encourage the availability of palliative care for all.

"Argues that people who promote the legalization of euthanasia ignore the vast ethical, legal and social differences between euthanasia and natural death. Permitting euthanasia, Somerville demonstrates, would cause irreparable harm to respect for human life and society." --Cover.

With its unique union of theory and application and its well-organized, easy-to-use design, Moral Choices has earned its place as the standard text for college ethics courses. This fourth edition offers extensive updates, revisions, and three brand new chapters all designed to help students develop a sound and current basis for making ethical decisions in today's complex postmodern culture. Moral Choices outlines the distinctive elements of Christian ethics while avoiding undue dogmatism. The book also introduces other ethical systems and their key historical proponents, including Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Immanuel Kant. After describing a seven-step procedure for tackling ethical dilemmas, author Scott Rae uses case studies to address some of today's most pressing social issues. He guides students in thinking critically and biblically about issues, including: Abortion Reproductive Technologies Euthanasia Capital Punishment Sexual Ethics The Morality of War Genetic Technologies and Human Cloning Ethics and Economics NEW: Creation Care NEW: Animal Rights NEW: Gun-Control NEW: Race, Gender, and Diversity NEW: Immigration, Refugees, and Border Control FEATURES Relevant Case Studies throughout Discussion questions at the end of each chapter Sidebars with case studies for discussion Recommended further reading

In The Case against Assisted Suicide: For the Right to End-of-Life Care, Dr. Kathleen Foley and Dr. Herbert Hendin uncover why pleas for patient autonomy and compassion, often used in favor of legalizing euthanasia, do not advance or protect the rights of terminally ill patients. Incisive essays by authorities in the fields of medicine, law, and bioethics draw on studies done in the Netherlands, Oregon, and Australia by the editors and contributors that show the dangers that legalization of assisted suicide would pose to the most vulnerable patients. Thoughtful and persuasive, this book urges the medical profession to improve palliative care and develop a more humane response to the complex issues facing those who are terminally ill.