DOCSLIB.ORG

The Euthanasia Debate: International Experience and Canadian Policy Proposals

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Euthanasia Debate: International Experience and Canadian Policy Proposals Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 4-14-2016 12:00 AM The Euthanasia Debate: International Experience and Canadian Policy Proposals Lorna M. Fratschko The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Gary Badcock The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Theology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Arts © Lorna M. Fratschko 2016 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, and the Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons Recommended Citation Fratschko, Lorna M., "The Euthanasia Debate: International Experience and Canadian Policy Proposals" (2016). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 3673. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/3673 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This thesis examines the problematic prospect of the introduction of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide into Canadian society. The thesis argues that euthanasia is too simplistic an approach to address the complexities of end of life issues. The policy proposal under active discussion is profoundly mistaken. The language of euthanasia is examined in relation to the choice of words used, drawing attention to how words, when used loosely, can distort reality in this matter. Historical experience from other jurisdictions is presented to provide a context for this discussion. A "slippery slope" argument emerges via the claim that, in practice and in principle, euthanasia can neither be contained nor managed upon its introduction into a society. A theoretical model based on virtue theory is then used to interpret these findings and to frame a constructive response. The policy alternative of enhanced resources for palliative care is presented. It is concluded that the risks associated with euthanasia are momentous and grave while the benefits are few. Keywords: euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, virtue theory, palliative care ii Acknowledgements My deepest gratitude is expressed to Dr. Gary Badcock, thesis supervisor. Dr. Badcock was instrumental in assisting this paper to find its shape and tenor as the many disparate strands of thought and consideration were distilled into a cohesive document. Dr. Badcock’s expert and nuanced observations based in philosophy and our 21st century reality contributed greatly to this emotional, intricate and very important topic. Huron University College extends rigorous academic and personal expectations to their graduate students. It is hoped that this thesis is a demonstration of such standards of excellence. Special acknowledgement also needs to be extended to my family and friends whose support and encouragement was constant as I worked towards the completion of this Masters level designation. iii Table of Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Table of Contents iv Chapter One Introduction 1 1.1 Question of Values 4 1.2 Summary of the Argument 10 Chapter Two Euthanasia: The Importance of Words 13 2.1 Euthanasia: A Term in Transition 14 2.2 Euthanasia: Let’s Call It What It Is 15 2.3 Loose Language: Loose Concepts: Loose Boundaries 18 2.4 The Romanticization of Euthanasia 23 Chapter Three Euthanasia in Historical Perspective 29 3.1 The Philosophy of Suicide 31 3.2 Changing Views of the Human Body 35 3.3 The Birth of Eugenics 37 3.4 Euthanasia and the Holocaust 39 3.5 The Resurgence of Euthanasia 44 3.5.1 Watershed Medical Cases 46 3.6 After the Holocaust 53 3.7 Alternatives to Euthanasia 55 iv Chapter Four Euthanasia: The Slippery Slope Argument 58 4.1 A New Moral Boundary – Abortion 59 4.2 Euthanasia: The European Experience 63 4.3 Proposed Canadian Legislation: Provincial-Territorial Expert Advisory Group on Physician-Assisted Dying 74 4.3.1 Conscientious Objection 74 4.3.2 Waiting Period 77 Chapter Five The Virtuous Alternative of Palliative Care 80 5.1 Euthanasia Through the Lens of Virtue Theory 81 5.1.1 Virtue Theory 83 5.1.2 The Language of Virtue Theory 84 5.2 Virtuous Behaviour and the Profession of Health Care 89 5.3 The Alternative: Palliative Care 94 5.3.1 History of Palliative Care 97 5.3.2 Contemporary Canadian Status of Palliative Care 99 5.4 Euthanasia: An Immoral Act 102 Chapter Six Conclusions 111 6.1 Euthanasia: Radical Social Policy 112 6.1.1 Euthanasia Represents a Departure from the Healing Commitment of Health Care Professionals 112 6.1.2 Euthanasia Establishes a Continuum of Worthiness In Society 114 6.1.3 Euthanasia: Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely 115 6.1.4 The Social Price of Euthanasia 118 v 6.2 Euthanasia: Worth the Risk? 121 Bibliography 129 Figure 1: Organizational Chart: Terms of Euthanasia 16 Appendix A: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby Letter to the British Parliament Why I believe assisting people to die would dehumanise our Society for ever 134 Appendix B: Canadian Nurses Association: Physician-Assisted Dying Brief for the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying January, 2016 138 Appendix C: Provincial-Territorial Expert Advisory Group on Physician-Assisted Dying. Final Report. November 30, 2015 154 Curriculum Vitae 267 vi Chapter 1 Introduction It is better for humans to shape rather than to be shaped by their circumstances. Humans do this mainly through the use of technology, and yet paradoxically, today there needs to be limits on the power of technology, in view of its own dehumanizing potential. Technological efficiency, in and of itself, is not the goal of human life, and we encounter its limitations in a myriad ways in our world. In higher education, to take one case in point, there is no substitute for the humanizing role of face-to-face interactions between teacher and student in traditional classroom and seminar settings, however much the efficiencies of impersonal on-line media might be trumpeted by government and industry. The list of problem areas could be multiplied, but one particular question arising in relation to current policy debates about the use of medical technology in Canada provides the particular rationale for this thesis. In our time, advances in medical technology and scientific knowledge are providing humanity with an unprecedented ability to actually manipulate life and death.1 The current euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide debate is a result of these medico-technological advances. The argument of this thesis is that the proposed introduction of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in contemporary Canada places us at risk of becoming the servant of 1 Kevin Yuill, Assisted Suicide. The Liberal, Humanist Case Against Legalization (UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), 65. 1 technology, and in the position of needing to clarify the centrality of our common humanity in medical ethics. A key point is that alternatives to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide exist. These have proven successful in other jurisdictions, and their use could be extended in Canada in response to most, if not all, of the issues that the demand for assisted death involves. Scientific innovation has placed people in our society in the position of being “technological giants but ethical infants.”2 We have an almost infinite capacity to uncover new knowledge but only limited wisdom concerning how best to apply this knowledge. New medical situations and innovations pose unfamiliar problems for which traditional ethical principles and historical moral standards are ineffective. End of life issues, specifically euthanasia and assisted suicide, raise such questions in a particularly acute form. Humanity can, however, apply its wonderful resourcefulness, creativity and compassion to finding solutions and alternatives to end of life issues. Our resourcefulness, which has brought about this debate in the first place, can thwart this circumstance of medical technology placing humanity in the dangerous position of being its servant. Current medical technology means that death is now preceded by an ever- lengthening period of physical and mental decline.3 Scrupulous attention to this balance of technology and the issue of end of life is demanded. The euthanasia debate is momentous and necessitates honest dialogue. Consequently, the language employed in this debate is extremely important. The importance of our language and consequent understanding of our intent is underscored by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein’s 2 George H. Kiefer, “Whither Bioethics” (paper presented at the U.S. Student Pugwash Conference, University of California, San Diego, June 19-26, 1979). 3 Samuel I. Greenberg, Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Psychosocial Issues. (Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher Ltd., 1997), 90. 2 quote “The limits of my language means the limits of my world.”4 The language of the euthanasia debate may well define the earthly limits for our most vulnerable; the ill, the elderly, the poor and disabled amongst us. Clear and concise words are needed so that clear thinking and accurate critical analysis may be applied to this complex issue. The proposed legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide represents a potential sea change in the foundation of our society. Such action will alter key aspects of the normative foundation of Canadian society. Part of the normative foundation of our society is found in the principle that it is wrong to kill. In fact, one of the most important rules on which we base our societies and their legal systems is that we must not kill each other.5 This is, at bottom, the reason that capital punishment is no longer legal in Canada, and yet we now propose to introduce forms of medicalized killing that conflict with that prohibition. Yet there is an important parallel between the two: as with capital punishment, euthanasia, were it to be legalized, would fall outside the traditional justification for taking life.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Paolo Stellino
    Philosophical Perspectives on Suicide Paolo Stellino Philosophical Perspectives on Suicide Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein Paolo Stellino Nova Institute of Philosophy Universidade Nova de Lisboa LISBOA, Portugal ISBN 978-3-030-53936-8 ISBN 978-3-030-53937-5 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53937-5 © Te Editor(s) (if applicable) and Te Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 Tis work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifcally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microflms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Te use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifc statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Te publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Te publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional afliations. Tis Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
    [Show full text]
  • Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary History of Suicidology: Learning from the Past for a Better Future Submitted to Prof. John Hartwig I
    WISCONSIN LUTHERAN SEMINARY HISTORY OF SUICIDOLOGY: LEARNING FROM THE PAST FOR A BETTER FUTURE SUBMITTED TO PROF. JOHN HARTWIG IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE MASTERS OF DIVINITY PROGRAM BY JORDAN P. BENCE MARCH 8, 2019 ABSTRACT Since 2008, suicide has ranked among the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. In 2016, suicide was the second leading cause of death for individuals ages 10-34 and the fourth leading cause of death for individuals ages 35-54. From 1999 through 2017, the suicide rate has increased by 33%.1 To say that suicide is a problem in our country would be a huge understatement. With each new year as statistics are released data reveals the truth that suicide is only becoming more and more prevalent. But why does it seem like no one is talking about it? Why is discussion regarding suicide often done in private, behind closed doors, or not at all. This thesis will take a look back at the long-term negative affect the past has had and still has to this day regarding the discussion of suicide. It will also partially suggest changes to advance the discussion moving forward. 1 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db330.htm ii CONTENTS INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………..………………….1 PART ONE: THE PAST……………………………………………………………………….…5 Discussion Begins In The Ancient World 5 Greek Philosophy Discusses Suicide 5 Rome Combats Suicide For All The Wrong Reasons 10 Ancient World Glorifies Suicide 11 Suicide During The Middle Ages 14 Blatant Condemnation From The Church 16 Defense Against Donatism 17 Aquinas Supports
    [Show full text]
  • Spirituality and Suicidal Behavior: the Mediating Role of Self-Forgiveness and Psychache
    East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 5-2017 Spirituality and Suicidal Behavior: The ediM ating Role of Self-Forgiveness and Psychache Benjamin B. Hall East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Multicultural Psychology Commons, and the Social Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Hall, Benjamin B., "Spirituality and Suicidal Behavior: The eM diating Role of Self-Forgiveness and Psychache" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3222. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3222 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Spirituality and Suicidal Behavior: The Mediating Role of Self-Forgiveness and Psychache __________________ A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of Psychology East Tennessee State University __________________ In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master of Arts in Psychology __________________ by Benjamin Hall May 2017 __________________ Jon R. Webb, Chair Chris S. Dula Stacey L. Williams Keywords: Religion, Spirituality, Forgiveness, Psychache, Suicide ABSTRACT Spirituality and Suicidal Behavior: The Mediating Role of Self-Forgiveness and Psychache by Benjamin Hall Growing evidence for protective factors of spirituality against physical and mental health related outcomes has led to the consideration of spirituality as a protective factor for suicidal behaviors.
    [Show full text]
  • The Complexity of Roman Suicide Carmine Anthony Ruff
    University of Richmond UR Scholarship Repository Master's Theses Student Research 1974 The complexity of Roman suicide Carmine Anthony Ruff Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/masters-theses Part of the Classics Commons Recommended Citation Ruff, Carmine Anthony, "The ompc lexity of Roman suicide" (1974). Master's Theses. Paper 937. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE COMPLEXITY OF ROMAN SUICIDE BY CARMINE ANTHONY RUFFA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN CLASSICAL STUDIES MAY 1974 APPROVAL SHEET ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE • . • • . .iv Chapter I. INTRODUCTION . • . • • • • . • • • • • . • 1 II. ANCIENT SUICIDE: A PROBLEM OF SEMANTICS. • • • • • • • • • • • • 5 Latin Citations to Suicide The Absence of A Standard Word Or Phrase III. PHILOSOPHIC SUICIDE . • .11 The Attitude of the Latin Philosophers Toward Suicide The Divergent Views of the Stoic Philosophers The Effect of Cato's Suicide on Stoicism IV. THE TREATMENT OF LUCRETIA'S SUICIDE BY LIVY AND AUGUSTINE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4 4 Section I: Livy's Lucretia Section II: Augustine's Denunciation of Lucretia v. SUICIDE IN THE AENEID • • • • • • . .61 Vergii's Development of Dido's Suicidal Personality The Condemnation of Suicides in the Underworld Amata's Suicide CONCLUSION. .80 APPENDIX I • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 83 APPENDIX II • . .86 BIBLIOGRAPHY . .91 VITA . .99 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to acknowledge two people who have influenced and inspired his academic and professional life.
    [Show full text]
  • The State of Knowledge on Medical Assistance in Dying for Mature Minors
    THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ON MEDICAL AssIstANCE IN DYING FOR MATURE MINORS The Expert Panel Working Group on MAID for Mature Minors ASSESSING EVIDENCE. INFORMING DECISIONS. THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ON MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IN DYING FOR MATURE MINORS The Expert Panel Working Group on MAID for Mature Minors ii The State of Knowledge on Medical Assistance in Dying for Mature Minors THE COUNCIL OF CANADIAN ACADEMIES 180 Elgin Street, Suite 1401, Ottawa, ON, Canada K2P 2K3 Notice: The project that is the subject of this report was undertaken with the approval of the Board of Directors of the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA). Board members are drawn from the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), as well as from the general public. The members of the expert panel responsible for the report were selected by the CCA for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. This report was prepared for the Government of Canada in response to a request from the Minister of Health and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors, the Expert Panel Working Group on MAID for Mature Minors, and do not necessarily represent the views of their organizations of affiliation or employment, or of the sponsoring organizations, Health Canada and the Department of Justice Canada. Library and Archives Canada ISBN: 978-1-926522-47-0 (electronic book) 978-1-926522-46-3 (paperback) This report should be cited as: Council of Canadian Academies, 2018.
    [Show full text]
  • National Consensual Narrative Against Terrorism Umbreen Javaid* Abstract When Taliban Were
    Journal of Political Studies, Vol. 22, Issue - 2, 2015, 383:398 National Consensual Narrative against Terrorism Umbreen Javaid* Abstract When Taliban were fighting against USSR, America, Pakistan and Western bloc along with many other countries of the world gave them moral and material support. They were given the name of Mujahideen and their struggle against USSR was considered as ‘holy war’. They also developed a strong narrative that impressed not only Mujahideen but the outer world also. However, after the disintegration of USSR, they were left unattended; therefore, they also changed their direction and started their struggle against imperialism and non Muslim Europe and especially America. After the incident of 9/11 USA along with her allies launched a war against them labeling them as terrorists. However there is a point of view that they cannot be completely defeated with military force. Their ideology or narrative that has become very strong should also be encountered. Key Words: Terrorism, narrative, Pakistan, Afghanistan, al-Qaida. Introduction "Mujahideen is a word literally comes from the same Arabic root as jihad, which means struggle. Therefore, a mujahid is a person who struggles. In the milieu of Afghanistan through the late twentieth century, the mujahideen were Islamic combatants shielding their state from the USSR”, which in 1979 assaulted and waged a pointless and gory war for a decade. Afghan mujahideen were outstandingly varied group including Uzbeks, Tajiks, ethnic Pashtuns, and others. Some were patron by Iran, whilst numerous groups were formation of Deoband Muslims and pro-Pakistan elements (Szczepanski, n.d. “Who Were the Mujahideen of Afghanistan?” about news.
    [Show full text]
  • In Canada Market Research Done? Medical Problems
    ISSN #1481-7314 Vol. 8, No. 3 Jul. - Sep. 2006 A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER BY AND FOR THE MEMBERS OF: Choice in Dying - Ottawa Dying With Dignity Canada Right to Die Society of Canada Sharma is free on $50,000 bail and is no husband John visited her every day; NEWS longer working as a doctor in the area. hospital staff members noticed that they were very devoted to each other. Unfortunately, John also was having in Canada Market Research Done? medical problems. He had suffered a series An August 5 Vancouver Sun story of small strokes, and since then had been Vernon Is Not Lugano or Zurich reported the theft of some drugs from a having memory difficulties. veterinarian’s car. The thief discarded At some point Lorna and John were told As was mentioned in the first 2006 much of the loot but kept 11 vials contain- that Lorna would not be able to live at home issue of Free To Go, nursing homes in ing “a number of different drugs used for any more. When she was well enough to the Swiss cities of Lugano and Zurich have euthanizing or operating on animals”. leave the hospital, she was to be transferred been allowing residents to receive suicide These drugs likely included pento- to a nursing home. assistance (from the group called Exit) for barbital and thiopental. For aid in dying, Both partners probably accepted this, at several years now. pentobarbital (a veterinary euthanatic) is first; John spoke with the manager of his But things are not at that stage in the drug most frequently used when the apartment building about having to move, Vernon BC.
    [Show full text]
  • On David Hume's Philosophy of Suicide
    Talisik: An Undergraduate Journal of Philosophy On David Hume’s Philosophy of Suicide Aldrin Matthew L. Go Abstract: It is evident that suicide cases remain prevalent in society today, due to man’s misery and experience of anxiety and frustration. Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume (1711 – 1779) is famously known through his skeptical approach on epistemology, ethics, and religion. Considerations of other vital aspects of his philosophy are, such as “being a man”, are often overlooked, primarily because Hume is viewed primarily within the positivist and utilitarian framework. Hence, the initial endeavor of the paper is to interpret Hume within the existential context of his philosophy of suicide. Hume recognizes that misery is caused by one’s violent passions, and pure solitude, or the absence of companions such as family, friends, or relatives. Hume’s moral philosophy endorses the importance of benevolence towards our fellow human beings; as conflict, oppression, and violence are often causes of suicide. Thus, the primary endeavor of this paper is to examine parts of Hume’s life and philosophy in order to derive Hume’s response on suicide. It can be observed that in Hume’s posthumous essays Of Suicide and On the Immortality of the Soul denies the arbitrary determinations of the Supreme Deity. Following this, Hume presents four essays on happiness – a response against the violent nature of both the world and self. Through this can I construct a preliminary avenue for the possibility of a “Humean Existentialism” Thus; the primary endeavor of this paper is to examine Hume’s life and philosophy in order to derive Hume’s response to suicide; and subsequently, to misery, anxiety, and frustration.
    [Show full text]
  • Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview: Development, Reliability, and Validity in an Adolescent Sample
    Psychological Assessment Copyright 2007 by the American Psychological Association 2007, Vol. 19, No. 3, 309–317 1040-3590/07/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/1040-3590.19.3.309 Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview: Development, Reliability, and Validity in an Adolescent Sample Matthew K. Nock, Elizabeth B. Holmberg, Valerie I. Photos, and Bethany D. Michel Harvard University The authors developed the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI) and evaluated its psychometric properties. The SITBI is a structured interview that assesses the presence, frequency, and characteristics of a wide range of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, including suicidal ideation, suicide plans, suicide gestures, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). This initial study, based on the administration of the SITBI to 94 adolescents and young adults, suggested that the SITBI has strong interrater reliability (average ␬ϭ.99, r ϭ 1.0) and test–retest reliability (average ␬ϭ.70, intraclass correlation coefficient ϭ .44) over a 6-month period. Moreover, concurrent validity was demonstrated via strong correspondence between the SITBI and other measures of suicidal ideation (average ␬ϭ.54), suicide attempt (␬ϭ.65), and NSSI (average ␬ϭ.87). The authors concluded that the SITBI uniformly and comprehensively assesses a wide range of self-injury-related constructs and provides a new instrument that can be administered with relative ease in both research and clinical settings. Keywords: suicide, self-injury, assessment, reliability, validity Although impressive advances have been made in the study of that many of the measures currently available do not use clear and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB) over the past several specific definitions of the SITB being assessed.
    [Show full text]
  • Suicide in Shakespeare's Tragedies: a Thematic Analysis
    ISSN 1798-4769 Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol. 6, No. 5, pp. 1145-1156, September 2015 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0605.30 Suicide in Shakespeare's Tragedies: A Thematic Analysis Hussein Zamani University of Isfahan, Iran Pyeaam Abbasi University of Isfahan, Iran Abstract—The Renaissance clearly witnessed a revitalization of human’s worldview towards education, the arts, and critical thinking. In the midst of this social, cultural and political transformation, a renewed perspective was held on the subjects of euthanasia and suicide. Philosophy began to struggle free from the fetters of Christianity and to redefine its targets as the production of free and intellectual citizens. Many well- known figures of Renaissance philosophy put forward theses that were reckoned at the time to be harshly iconoclastic, such as the permissibility of suicide. Shakespeare, the chief figure of the English renaissance, in line with anti-religious discourses of his time, employs characters who radically pertain to suicidal ideologies of the ancients. The dominant theme of suicide pervading his works demonstrates how the Renaissance man mirrored the Greek and Roman ideologies and how the process of secularization exposed him with a sort of absurdity as a result of which suicide could be tolerated or even more admired. The present paper, aims, on the one hand, to defy many contemporary arguments which ill-foundedly endeavor to introduce Shakespeare as an anti-suicide figure. On the other hand, the authors show how Shakespeare was heavily influenced by the religious, humanistic, artistic and scientific discourses of his time in his exposure to the theme of suicide.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case of Robert Latimer: a Commentary on Crime and Punishment
    THE CASE OF ROBERT LA TIMER 1017 THE CASE OF ROBERT LATIMER: A COMMENTARY ON CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. Barney Sneidennan • My object most sublime I shall achieve in time To make the punishment fit the crime. Gilbert and Sullivan, "The Mikado" I. NOTE TO TIIE READER This paper is about the sentencing of Robert Latimer, a Saskatchewan fanner convicted of second-degree murder for the killing of his severely disabled twelve-year­ old daughter. As it now stands, he is facing life imprisonment and will not be eligible for parole until he has served ten years. I do not discuss the facts of the case (except insofar as they address Latimer' s motive) as the reader will undoubtedly have a general familiarity with the events surrounding the death of Tracy Latimer. That is because the case has been intennittently in the news for the last six years; I doubt that any Canadian courtroom drama has attracted more media attention and public interest than this "mercy-killing" case. But since I do not even mention Robert Latimer until the sixth page, I owe it to the reader to explain my approach to the subject. First, for reasons explained in due course, I begin by presenting the perspective of those in the disabled community - by which I mean the disabled themselves and their caregivers, often the parents - who oppose leniency for Latimer. As one such member of that community has said, the Latimer case cannot be viewed in isolation from various health care issues of concern to the disabled; for that reason I believe it necessary to place that perspective in a context.
    [Show full text]
  • The Expert Panel Working Group on Advance Requests for MAID
    THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ON ADVANCE REQUEsts FOR MEDICAL AssIstANCE IN DYING The Expert Panel Working Group on Advance Requests for MAID ASSESSING EVIDENCE. INFORMING DECISIONS. THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ON ADVANCE REQUESTS FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IN DYING The Expert Panel Working Group on Advance Requests for MAID ii The State of Knowledge on Advance Requests for Medical Assistance in Dying THE COUNCIL OF CANADIAN ACADEMIES 180 Elgin Street, Suite 1401, Ottawa, ON, Canada K2P 2K3 Notice: The project that is the subject of this report was undertaken with the approval of the Board of Directors of the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA). Board members are drawn from the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), as well as from the general public. The members of the expert panel responsible for the report were selected by the CCA for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. This report was prepared for the Government of Canada in response to a request from the Minister of Health and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors, the Expert Panel Working Group on Advance Requests for MAID, and do not necessarily represent the views of their organizations of affiliation or employment, or of the sponsoring organizations, Health Canada and the Department of Justice Canada. Library and Archives Canada ISBN: 978-1-926522-51-7 (electronic book) 978-1-926522-50-0 (paperback) This report should be cited as: Council of Canadian Academies, 2018.
    [Show full text]