Voluntary euthanasia is a hot topic. It stirs our deepest fears and triggers an intense emotional response. And yet, if any subject required calm thought and cool assessment, this is it. How are we to die? The increasingly heated debate goes to the heart of how we, as a society, value life and the compassion with which we treat those who are suffering incurably.
Calls for legislation of euthanasia are gathering pace and those on either side of the debate are at a stand-off. Now, more than ever, the ethics of euthanasia need to be looked at clearly, with the hindsight of history and the practical experience of countries that have already addressed some of the issues involved.
Extensively researched, this book focuses on the arguments, for and against, and the philosophical, political and cross-cultural contexts of this age-old dilemma. Included are case studies of patients and their families who are faced with these harrowing decisions at the end of life, as well as the opinions of the professionals who deal with human suffering daily.
