Is there a duty to die? : and other essays in bioethics / John Hardwig, with Nat Hentoff ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hardwig, John.

Contributor:

Hentoff, Nat.

Series:

Reflective bioethics

Reflective bioethics series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Death--Moral and ethical aspects.

Death.

Medical ethics.

Physical Description:

ix, 212 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, 2000.

Summary:

Amid the controversies surrounding physician-assisted suicides, euthanasia, and long-term care for the elderly, a major component in the ethics of medicine is notably absent: the rights and welfare of the survivor's family, for whom serious illness and death can be emotionally and financially devastating. In this collection of eight provocative and timely essays, John Hardwig lets forth his views on the need to replace patient-centered bioethics with family-centered bioethics.

Starting with a critique of the awkward language with which philosophers argue the ethics of personal relationships, Hardwig goes on to present a general statement on the necessity of family-centered bioethics. He reflects on proxy decisions, the effects of elder care on the family, the financial and lifestyle consequences of long-term care, and physician-assisted suicide from the perspective of the family. His penultimate essay, "Is There a Duty to Die?" carries the idea of family-centered ethics to its logical, controversial, conclusion. Includes comments by Daniel Callahan, Larry Churchill, Joanne Lynn, and journalist Nat Hentoff offer differing views on this highly charged subject. As advances in medicine prolong patient's lives, the welfare of those ultimately responsible for medical care -- the family -- must be addressed. Hardwig's courageous and illuminating essays set forth a new direction in bioethics: one that considers the welfare of everyone concerned.

Contents:

In Search of an Ethics of Personal Relationships (1989) 9

What About the Family? (1990) 29

The Problem of Proxies with Interests of Their Own: Toward a Better Theory of Proxy Decisions (1992) 45

Support and the Invisible Family (1995) 61

Elder Abuse, Ethics, and Context (1996) 67

Dying at the Right Time: Reflections on (Un)assisted Suicide (1996) 81

Autobiography, Biography, and Narrative Ethics (1997) 101

Is There a Duty to Die? (1997) 19

Commentaries on "Is There a Duty to Die?" 37

Nat Hentoff, "Duty to Die?" 37

Daniel Callahan, "Our Burden upon Others: A Response to John Hardwig" 139

Felicia Cohn and Joanne Lynn, "A Duty to Care" 145

Larry R. Churchill, "Seeking a Responsible Death" 54

Dying Responsibly: Reflections on These Commentaries 165

i) Family Responses

ii) A Responsible Death-Getting the Discussion Started

iii) Responsibilities of Those Facing the End of Life.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0415922410

0415922429

OCLC:

40861989