Facing Death: An Interdisciplinary Approach

Facing Death......Page 1
CONTENTS......Page 6
PREFACE......Page 8
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS......Page 9
1— Facing Death: An Introduction......Page 10
Notes......Page 13
PART I— ISSUES RAISED BY RECENT ADVANCES IN THE PROLONGATION OF LIFE......Page 14
2— Intimations of Mortality: Some Sociological Considerations......Page 15
1— Demographic Changes......Page 16
2— The Medical Professions......Page 18
3— The Nuclear Family......Page 20
4— The Public Face of Death......Page 22
5— The Shadow of Death......Page 25
6— The Journey to Death......Page 27
7— Conclusion......Page 33
Notes......Page 34
1— Introduction......Page 37
2— QALYs......Page 39
3— A Defence of QALYs......Page 42
4— Death......Page 44
5— Conclusion......Page 49
Notes......Page 50
4— The Law's Impact......Page 52
1— The Dying Competent Adult......Page 53
2— Acts Versus Omissions......Page 57
3— Civil Law......Page 58
4— The Incompetent Patient......Page 61
5— Advance Directives......Page 66
6— Transplantation......Page 67
7— Conclusion......Page 68
Notes......Page 69
1— Introduction......Page 72
2— Trust......Page 73
3— Autonomy......Page 75
4— Informed Consent......Page 77
5— Beneficence and Non-Maleficence......Page 79
6— Justice......Page 80
7— The Sanctity of Life......Page 82
8— Advance Directives......Page 83
9— Euthanasia......Page 85
Why Ask for Euthanasia Rather than Commit Suicide?......Page 86
How Can We Respond to a Patient Who Requests Euthanasia?......Page 87
Dangers in Accepting Euthanasia......Page 89
10— The House of Lords Select Committee Report......Page 92
Background Documents and Papers......Page 93
1— Introduction......Page 95
2— Caring for the Dying......Page 96
3— Grief As a Process......Page 99
5— Internal Factors......Page 101
6— Sex Role Differences......Page 102
8— Grief in Childhood......Page 103
9— Faith in Grief......Page 104
10— Rituals......Page 105
11— Helping Someone Who is Bereaved......Page 107
Sources of Support......Page 108
1— The Strength of the Tradition against Euthanasia......Page 109
2— The Relevance of Religious Factors in the Current Debate......Page 110
3— Changing Attitudes in Christian Ethics......Page 111
5— The Bible's Attitude to Suicide......Page 113
6— Biblical Attitudes to the Willing Surrender of Life......Page 114
7— The Christian Acceptance of Death......Page 115
8— Does Choosing Death Imply Despairing of God's Goodness?......Page 116
9— The Implication of Christ's 'Golden Rule' for Suicide and Euthanasia......Page 117
10— Is a Request for Euthanasia a Denial of Christian Hope?......Page 118
11— Is a Suicide Like a Deserter or an Uninvited Guest?......Page 119
12— Is it Good for Us to Suffer?......Page 120
14— Can Euthanasia be Reconciled with our Duty to Protect the Vulnerable?......Page 121
Notes......Page 122
1— Introduction......Page 125
2— Autonomy......Page 127
3— Compassion......Page 129
4— In Christian Perspective......Page 132
Notes......Page 135
PART II— THE QUEST FOR MEANING AND PURPOSE IN DEATH......Page 138
1— Introduction......Page 139
(5) The Being of Light......Page 140
(12) The Aftermath......Page 141
2— Population Surveyed......Page 143
3— Content of the Experiences......Page 146
5— Positive and Negative Emotions......Page 148
6— Meeting People......Page 150
7— Memories......Page 151
10— The Return......Page 152
11— Transformation......Page 153
12— Faith and the NDE......Page 155
13— Psychic Gifts......Page 156
14— Conclusion......Page 157
Notes......Page 158
1— Heidegger and Human Nature......Page 160
2— Heidegger and Death......Page 164
3— The Sociology of Death......Page 167
Notes......Page 172
2— The Religious Vision of Life......Page 174
4— Belief in a Creator God......Page 176
5— The 'Problem of Evil' within Christianity......Page 177
6— The Soul-Making Theodicy......Page 178
7— The Meaning of Life and Death in Judaism......Page 180
8— The Meaning of Life and Death in Islam......Page 181
9— The Meaning of Life and Death in Buddhism......Page 182
10— What the Buddha Meant by His 'No-Self' Doctrine......Page 184
12— Affirming this World Also......Page 185
13— The Practical Implications of Seeing Life and Death in the Light of an Eternal Hope......Page 186
Notes......Page 187
1......Page 189
2......Page 198
Notes......Page 201
M......Page 203
W......Page 204