What can medical ethics learn from history?

Article Abstract:

Arguments and attitudes that led to the Nazi practice of euthanasia have some disturbing resonances with ideas heard today. The danger in many well-off societies today is not euthanasia as such, but an unfair distribution of health care resources that may cause some elderly people to be regarded as a burden, by themselves as well as by others. The moral boundary that should not be crossed is not one between killing and letting die, but rather one between making decisions with the person concerned (first-person judgments) versus making decisions about the person (third-person judgments).

Editorial, History, Science, National socialism, Health care rationing, National socialism and science

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Commentary 2: thesis correct: argument unconvincing

Article Abstract:

Susan Lowe's arguments supporting her thesis that the right to refuse treatment is not the right to be killed is not convincing although the proposition given is acceptable. Legal presumptions depend on respect caused by the integrity of a human person. Furthermore, Lowe's argument on programming a respirator to enable a clinician to avoid the dilemma of obeying a patient's wish or not was not fully reflected upon. This is because the use of mechanical devices in place of a real doctor's moral judgment is not ethical.

Physicians, Medical professions

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Commentary 1: the right to refuse treatment

Article Abstract:

Doctors can be spared of the trouble of having to decide on a patient's request to withdraw his life support system. This can be done by providing medical equipments with automatic switch-off mechanisms which would allow patients to die without human intervention. However, clinician's actions are expected to be determined by their ethics and medical legality. Although these cases seldom occur, these give the patients a chance to voice out their wishes.

Analysis, Medicine, Practice, Medical practice

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