Overview

This book argues against the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia and/or physician-assisted suicide on the ground that, even if they were ethically defensible in certain 'hard cases', neither could be effectively controlled by law. It maintains that the experience of legalisation in the Netherlands, Belgium and Oregon lends support to the two 'slippery slope' arguments against legalisation, the 'empirical' and the 'logical'. The empirical argument challenges the feasibility of drafting and enforcing adequate safeguards against abuse and mistake; the logical argument shows that acceptance of the case for euthanasia in the case of suffering patients who request it logically involves acceptance of euthanasia for suffering patients who are unable to request it, such as infants and those with advanced dementia.

Full Product Details

Author:   John Keown, DCL (Georgetown University, Washington DC)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press
Edition:   2nd Revised edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.80cm
Weight:   0.890kg
ISBN:  

9781107618336

ISBN 10:   1107618339
Pages:   558
Publication Date:   18 October 2018
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
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Table of Contents

Part I. Definitions: 1. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide; 2. Intended v. foreseen life-shortening; Part II. The Ethical Debate: Human Life, Autonomy, Legal Hypocrisy, and the 'Slippery Slope'; 3. The value of human life; 4. The value of autonomy; 5. Legal hypocrisy?; 6. The slippery slope arguments; Part III. The Dutch Experience: 7. The guidelines; 8. The first survey: the incidence of 'euthanasia'; 9. Breach of the guidelines; 10. The slide towards NVAE; 11. The second survey; 12. The Dutch in denial?; 13. The Euthanasia Act and the Code of Practice; 14. Effective control since 2002?; 15. Continuing concerns; 16. A right to physician-assisted suicide by stopping eating and drinking?; 17. Assisted suicide for the elderly with 'completed lives'; Part IV. Belgium: 18. The Belgian Legislation; 19. The lack of effective control; Part V. Australia: 20. The Northern Territory: ROTTI; Part VI. The United States: 21. The United States: Oregon and six other jurisdictions; 22. The US Supreme Court: Glucksberg and Vacco; Part VII. Canada: 23. The Supreme Court of Canada: the Carter case; 24. Canada's euthanasia legislation; 25. Conclusion.

Reviews

'... magisterial ...' Lord Judge, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales 'A masterly analysis of the results of legalisation. Future discussions can, and must, be evidence-based.' Baroness Onora O'Neill, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, and former Principal of Newnham College, University of Cambridge 'Though it hardly seems possible, this updating of the classic text on the quintessential issue in modern medicine has made its analysis of the ethical and legal issues in euthanasia even more trenchant and illuminating.' Alexander M. Capron, Scott H. Bice Chair in Healthcare Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Southern California, and former Director of Ethics and Health Law at the World Health Organization 'John Keown is undoubtedly one of the all-time leading writers on assisted suicide and euthanasia. He writes with great power and clarity.' Yale Kamisar, Clarence Darrow Distinguished University Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Michigan Praise for the first edition: '... the best book in print on the case against the legalisation of euthanasia.' The Tablet Praise for the first edition: '... a most significant contribution to the debate ...' Medical Law Review Praise for the first edition: 'Keown's clarity of thought explodes myths and beats an accessible path through a detailed jungle of morality and social history.' British Medical Journal 'Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy is a meticulous, highly readable, and profoundly disturbing examination of the merits of the slippery slope arguments. ... John Keown's book is essential reading for everyone interested in the AD [Assisted Dying] debate (which should be all of us) - regardless of personal conviction.' Charles Foster, New Law Journal 'This is the latest addition to John Keown's library of excellent books to do with euthanasia ... and ... the best. This book is the best collection of information regarding euthanasia that I have seen and it is strongly recommended if you have any interest in the euthanasia and assisted-dying debate.' Roger Woodruff, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care Newsletter '... magisterial.' Igor Judge, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales 'A masterly analysis of the results of legalisation. Future discussions can, and must, be evidence-based.' Onora O'Neill, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, and former Principal of Newnham College, University of Cambridge 'Though it hardly seems possible, this updating of the classic text on the quintessential issue in modern medicine has made its analysis of the ethical and legal issues in euthanasia even more trenchant and illuminating.' Alexander M. Capron, University of Southern California, and former Director of Ethics, Trade, Human Rights, and Health Law at the World Health Organization 'John Keown is undoubtedly one of the all-time leading writers on assisted suicide and euthanasia. He writes with great power and clarity.' Yale Kamisar, Clarence Darrow Distinguished University Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Michigan Praise for the first edition: '... the best book in print on the case against the legalisation of euthanasia.' The Tablet Praise for the first edition: '... a most significant contribution to the debate ...' Medical Law Review Praise for the first edition: 'Keown's clarity of thought explodes myths and beats an accessible path through a detailed jungle of morality and social history.' British Medical Journal 'Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy is a meticulous, highly readable, and profoundly disturbing examination of the merits of the slippery slope arguments. ... John Keown's book is essential reading for everyone interested in the AD [Assisted Dying] debate (which should be all of us) - regardless of personal conviction.' Charles Foster, New Law Journal 'This is the latest addition to John Keown's library of excellent books to do with euthanasia ... and ... the best. This book is the best collection of information regarding euthanasia that I have seen and it is strongly recommended if you have any interest in the euthanasia and assisted-dying debate.' Roger Woodruff, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care Newsletter

Advance praise: '... magisterial ...' Lord Judge, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Advance praise: 'A masterly analysis of the results of legalisation. Future discussions can, and must, be evidence-based.' Baroness Onora O'Neill, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, and former Principal of Newnham College, University of Cambridge Advance praise: 'Though it hardly seems possible, this updating of the classic text on the quintessential issue in modern medicine has made its analysis of the ethical and legal issues in euthanasia even more trenchant and illuminating.' Alexander M. Capron, Scott H. Bice Chair in Healthcare Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Southern California, and former Director of Ethics and Health Law at the World Health Organization Advance praise: 'John Keown is undoubtedly one of the all-time leading writers on assisted suicide and euthanasia. He writes with great power and clarity.' Yale Kamisar, Clarence Darrow Distinguished University Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Michigan Praise for the first edition: '... the best book in print on the case against the legalisation of euthanasia.' The Tablet Praise for the first edition: '... a most significant contribution to the debate ...' Medical Law Review Praise for the first edition: 'Keown's clarity of thought explodes myths and beats an accessible path through a detailed jungle of morality and social history.' British Medical Journal

'... magisterial ...' Lord Judge, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales 'A masterly analysis of the results of legalisation. Future discussions can, and must, be evidence-based.' Baroness Onora O'Neill, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, and former Principal of Newnham College, University of Cambridge 'Though it hardly seems possible, this updating of the classic text on the quintessential issue in modern medicine has made its analysis of the ethical and legal issues in euthanasia even more trenchant and illuminating.' Alexander M. Capron, Scott H. Bice Chair in Healthcare Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Southern California, and former Director of Ethics and Health Law at the World Health Organization 'John Keown is undoubtedly one of the all-time leading writers on assisted suicide and euthanasia. He writes with great power and clarity.' Yale Kamisar, Clarence Darrow Distinguished University Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Michigan Praise for the first edition: '... the best book in print on the case against the legalisation of euthanasia.' The Tablet Praise for the first edition: '... a most significant contribution to the debate ...' Medical Law Review Praise for the first edition: 'Keown's clarity of thought explodes myths and beats an accessible path through a detailed jungle of morality and social history.' British Medical Journal '... magisterial.' Igor Judge, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales 'A masterly analysis of the results of legalisation. Future discussions can, and must, be evidence-based.' Onora O'Neill, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, and former Principal of Newnham College, University of Cambridge 'Though it hardly seems possible, this updating of the classic text on the quintessential issue in modern medicine has made its analysis of the ethical and legal issues in euthanasia even more trenchant and illuminating.' Alexander M. Capron, University of Southern California, and former Director of Ethics, Trade, Human Rights, and Health Law at the World Health Organization 'John Keown is undoubtedly one of the all-time leading writers on assisted suicide and euthanasia. He writes with great power and clarity.' Yale Kamisar, Clarence Darrow Distinguished University Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Michigan

Author Information

John Keown is a leading and widely-published authority on the law and ethics of medicine. Before being appointed to the Rose Kennedy Chair in the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown, he taught medical law in the Faculty of Law at Cambridge. In 2015 he was made a Doctor of Civil Law by Oxford for his contribution to law and bioethics. A focus of his research, which has been cited by the Law Lords and by the US Supreme Court, has been the law and practice of euthanasia in the Netherlands. That research formed the centrepiece to the first edition of this work, which was widely acclaimed.

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