Death and Medical Power: An Ethical Analysis of Dutch Euthanasia Practice

Series editor's preface
Introduction1. Euthanasia and medical powerThe "Postma" Case
The Dutch euthanasia debate
Beginnings of the euthanasia movement
The verdict
Expansion of the debate
The lack of a theoretical foundation for euthanasia
Dutch euthanasia as a contradiction of respect for patient autonomy
Euthanasia as a hindrance to a good death
A framework of queries2. The growth of medical powerVictims of medical power
Medical-ethical uncertainty
Normative stability
The postwar period
The changing medical scene
Secularization
The power of medicine
A new focus on death and dying
The development of the practice of euthanasia
The issue of public control
Public debate and the politics of compromise 3. The medical practice of euthanasiaIntroduction
General description of Dutch euthanasia cases
Incidence of medically procured death (MPD)
Who practices euthanasia?
The doctor-patient relationship
The physician's role in the decision-making process
Evaluation of the practice of euthanasia
Why physicians?4. The response of the lawIntroduction
The relevance of the Dutch legal developments for other countries
The law of 1886
Force Majeure
Jurisprudential developments
Why physicians?
Who can speak on behalf of the medical profession?
Guilty but no punishment
The role of the prosecutor
Legalization of euthanasia
Why a new law?5. Justifying the euthanasia practiceIntroduction
The importance of distinctions
Euthanasia versus letting go
Euthanasia versus palliative treatment
Euthanasia versus PAS
Voluntary versus non-voluntary MDP
Different methods of ethical reasoning
The model of double effect
Patient autonomy
Unbearable suffering and the patient's quality of life
Shifts in argumentation6. Lessons to be learnedIntroduction
The medicalization of end-of-life care
Medical interventions and control over human death
The inevitability of judgements about patients' quality of life
Powerlessness of the law, public debate and policy
The importance of distinctions
Towards a broader array of end-of-life care optionsAppendix I: digets of Dutch jurisprudenceAppendix II: 2001 law on euthanasia and PASNotes
References
Index

Henk ten Have studied medicine and philosophy. He has worked as professor of philosophy at the University of Maastricht and as professor of medical ethics in the University Medical Centre of Nijmegen, the Netherlands. He is currently Director of the Division of Ethics of Science and Technology of UNESCO, Paris, France. Jos Welie studied medicine, philosophy and law. He joined Henk ten Have at the University Medical Centre of Nijmegen in the early 1990s, but has resided and taught in the US since 1997, presently as professor of health policy and ethics at Creighton Universitys Center for Health Policy and Ethics in Omaha.