Euthanasia

by Brian Clowes

In Euthanasia, from the Facts of Life, Dr. Brian Clowes discusses topics such as: definitions and types; advance directives; extraordinary or disproportionate measures; painkillers causing unconsciousness; the Bible and Catholic theology; the hospice alternative; Nazi Germany; Netherlands; United States; the purpose of human suffering; Kevorkian; and what can we do to fight euthanasia.  For access to the full content of the chapter, click here...

Euthanasia

by Ignacio Carrasco de Paula

In contemporary usage, the term euthanasia does not simply mean the quest of palliative medicine to relieve pain, but the act of deliberately killing someone in order to end suffering for "merciful reasons". Appeal is made to the superior interest of the State for ulterior "justification" of such acts, since, it is claimed, that the State has sovereign power over the bodies of those of its members who have become useless to society. Read More...

Quality of Life

by Renzo Paccini

The term "quality of life" entered the medical vocabulary beginning in the 1950s. It gained ever greater importance in this field as time passed with improvements in medical resuscitation that could lead to overzealous or burdensome medical treatments and progress in the field of prenatal testing for fetal abnormalities. The ambiguousness of this expression poses many concrete problems to the extent that doctors tend to judge the "value" of their patients using a very subjective notion of "wellbeing". Read More...