Document Detail


Pulling up the runaway: the effect of new evidence on euthanasia's slippery slope.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  9800591     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The slippery slope argument has been the mainstay of many of those opposed to the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. In this paper I re-examine the slippery slope in the light of two recent studies that examined the prevalence of medical decisions concerning the end of life in the Netherlands and in Australia. I argue that these two studies have robbed the slippery slope of the source of its power--its intuitive obviousness. Finally I propose that, contrary to the warnings of the slippery slope, the available evidence suggests that the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide might actually decrease the prevalence of non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia.
Authors:
C J Ryan
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of medical ethics     Volume:  24     ISSN:  0306-6800     ISO Abbreviation:  J Med Ethics     Publication Date:  1998 Oct 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1999-02-22     Completed Date:  1999-02-22     Revised Date:  2009-11-18    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7513619     Medline TA:  J Med Ethics     Country:  ENGLAND    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  341-4     Citation Subset:  E; IM    
Affiliation:
Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Australia
Empirical Research
Ethics, Medical*
Euthanasia / legislation & jurisprudence*
Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary*
Humans
Netherlands
Suicide, Assisted / legislation & jurisprudence*
Wedge Argument*
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
J Med Ethics. 1999 Feb;25(1):60   [PMID:  10070642 ]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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