tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6160916.post6238498884007991514..comments2024-03-06T04:31:53.093+11:00Comments on Just in CASE: Dying WellTrevor Cairneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743409298855125040noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6160916.post-70251991457586490672010-04-13T22:37:31.186+10:002010-04-13T22:37:31.186+10:00Hi Tim,
We're not going to agree on this one....Hi Tim,<br /><br />We're not going to agree on this one. I think we're approaching the issue with different views of the world and different views concerning ethical decision making about death and suffering.<br /><br />Doctors are trained to preserve life and reduce pain. They would only ever respond to a request to switch off life support after exercising a professional clinical judgement about the patient's prognosis and within the boundaries of the law. This is a world away from someone asking their friend, wife, neighbour to inject a substance into their veins to kill them and end their suffering. I think you'll find Megan's talk useful. Let's talk again after you've listened to it.<br /><br />But let me say, these are not simple matters and the medical profession is trying to grapple with the medical, moral and ethical considerations. You will hear this within all the speakers' comments.<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />TrevorTrevor Cairneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10743409298855125040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6160916.post-43009263117067121532010-04-13T13:58:37.226+10:002010-04-13T13:58:37.226+10:00Trevor,
I can't for the life of me see how we...Trevor,<br /><br />I can't for the life of me see how we can allow one but not the other. Withdrawal of treatment and euthanasia are both "decision[s] someone makes about their own life and health", both are "deliberate intervention[s] undertaken with the intention of ending another person's life", and both "require someone to take action that kills another person".<br /><br />How is switching off a machine that is sustaining life (or withdrawing a feeding tube etc) any different to administering a fatal drug? The intention of each is to end life (or rather, end suffering), and in each case someone other than the patient has to perform the action. The only difference is that the withdrawal of treatment option will, in almost all cases, take much longer and involve much more suffering.<br /><br />I really think you have to either oppose both, or support both. Is there any other way you can explain how supporting one but not the other is not morally (and logically) inconsistent?<br /><br />While certainly a worrying development (if true), I don't think your point about consent in Holland applies here... to compare like with like, we need to consider the moral difference between a person asking for withdrawal of treatment, and that same person asking for euthanasia (i.e. the patient consents in both cases).<br /><br />Tim<br /><br />P.S. Yes, the audio is a little fuzzy... might wait until you put up the new ones!Timaahynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6160916.post-29361766248162381512010-04-12T21:03:44.234+10:002010-04-12T21:03:44.234+10:00Hi Tim,
Glad that you downloaded the talks. If yo...Hi Tim,<br /><br />Glad that you downloaded the talks. If you find the first two fuzzy try again in a day or two we are going to re-load them.<br /><br />I was tempted to say listen to Megan Best's talk but that's a cop out. The "individual right to ask for treatment to be withdrawn" is a decision someone makes about their own health and life, while Euthanasia is something we do to someone else. It requires someone to take action that kills another person. <br /><br />The latter is a deliberate intervention undertaken with the intention of ending another person's life. Often it is with their consent, but in countries like Holland, where it is legal, it is increasingly done without people's consent. Megan Best talks about this in her talk.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />TrevorTrevor Cairneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10743409298855125040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6160916.post-50072308248902286602010-04-12T13:04:16.636+10:002010-04-12T13:04:16.636+10:00Hi Trevor,
I have just downloaded the MP3 files, ...Hi Trevor,<br /><br />I have just downloaded the MP3 files, and will listen to them over the next few days. Before I listen to the talks, however, I just wanted to ask a quick question.<br /><br />You said in your post that "the individual right to ask for treatment to be withdrawn is an important one". Can you explain how you can support withdrawal of treatment, but not euthanasia?<br /><br />TimTimaahynoreply@blogger.com