Medical expertise, existential suffering and ending life

被引:15
作者
Varelius, Jukka [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Turku, Dept Behav Sci & Philosophy, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland
基金
芬兰科学院;
关键词
Euthanasia; Applied and Professional Ethics; Attitudes Toward Death; PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE; EUTHANASIA;
D O I
10.1136/medethics-2012-100812
中图分类号
B82 [伦理学(道德学)];
学科分类号
摘要
In this article, I assess the position that voluntary euthanasia (VE) and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) ought not to be accepted in the cases of persons who suffer existentially but who have no medical condition, because existential questions do not fall within the domain of physicians' professional expertise. I maintain that VE and PAS based on suffering arising from medical conditions involves existential issues relevantly similar to those confronted in connection with existential suffering. On that basis I conclude that if VE and PAS based on suffering arising from medical conditions is taken to fall within the domain of medical expertise, it is not consistent to use the view that physicians' professional expertise does not extend to existential questions as a reason for denying requests for VE and PAS from persons who suffer existentially but have no medical condition.
引用
收藏
页码:104 / 107
页数:4
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