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Part II - The Ethical Debate

Human Life, Autonomy, Legal Hypocrisy and the Slippery Slope

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2018

John Keown
John Keown
Affiliation:
Georgetown University, Washington DC
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Summary

Defends the criminal prohibition of euthanasia and physician-assisteds suicide from the charge that it is hypocritical. The charge rests on five grounds: first, that the law is ineffective and winks at these practices; second, that it permits palliative treatment which shortens life; third, that by not prohibiting suicide it recognises a right to suicide; fourth, that it allows patients to end their lives by refusing treatmen, and, finally, that it allows life-prolonging treatment to be withheld or withdrawn.
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Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy
An Argument against Legalisation
 , pp. 35 - 90
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2018

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  • The Ethical Debate
  • John Keown, Georgetown University, Washington DC
  • Book: Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy
  • Online publication: 28 September 2018
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107337909.009
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  • The Ethical Debate
  • John Keown, Georgetown University, Washington DC
  • Book: Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy
  • Online publication: 28 September 2018
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107337909.009
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Ethical Debate
  • John Keown, Georgetown University, Washington DC
  • Book: Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy
  • Online publication: 28 September 2018
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107337909.009
Available formats
×