Euthanasia ProCon.org

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The following are all Issues, Sub-issues and Questions. Collectively they map the
content supporting our core question: "Should euthanasia be legal?"

1. Definitions and Language A. Euthanasia Q1. What is euthanasia? Q2. What is voluntary active euthanasia? Q3. What is passive euthanasia? Q4. What is non-voluntary euthanasia? B. Physician-Assisted Suicide/Physician Aid in Dying Q1. What is physician-assisted suicide? C. Differentiating Terms Q1. Is there a moral difference between passive and active euthanasia? Q2. Is there a moral difference between passive euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? Q3. Is there a moral difference between active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? 2. Moral Questions A. Slippery Slope Q1. Would legalizing voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide create a slippery slope to involuntary euthanasia? Q2. Has euthanasia created a slippery slope in Belgium and Holland where it is already legal? B. Religious Concerns Q1. Is the debate over euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide primarily religious in nature? Q2. What are Catholic perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? Q3. What are Christian perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? Q4. What are Jewish perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? Q5. What are Muslim perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? Q6. What are Hindu perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? Q7. What are Buddhist perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? C. Double Effect Q1. What is the doctrine of "double effect"? Q2. Does the doctrine of double effect serve as a justification for euthanasia? 3. Law and Public Policy A. Dr. Kevorkian Q1. Who is Dr. Kevorkian? Q2. Should Dr. Kevorkian be considered a criminal? B. Oregon Death With Dignity Act Q1. What is the Oregon Death with Dignity Act? Q2. What did Gonzales v. Oregon decide? Q3. Does Oregon have the legal right to administer drugs for the purposes of physician-assisted suicide? Q4. Is the Oregon Death with Dignity Act a good law? C. Terri Schiavo Q1. What was the legal controversy at the center of the Terri Schiavo case? Q2. From a moral perspective, should Terri Schiavo's feeding tube have been removed? Q3. From a medical perspective, should Terri Schiavo's feeding tube have been removed? Q4. From a legal perspective, should Terri Schiavo's feeding tube have been removed? Q5. Legal Documents in the Terri Schiavo Case D. "Right to Die" Q1. Is there a legal right to die? E. Who Decides Q1. Should the government be involved in patients' end-of-life decision-making? Q2. In the absence of an advance directive, who makes decisions for incapacitated patients? 4. Advance Directives A. Living Wills Q1. What is an advance directive? Q2. What is a living will? Q3. Are living wills a good idea? B. Health Care Power of Attorney Q1. What is a health care power of attorney? Q2. Is the health care power of attorney sufficient on its own?

5. End-of-Life Medical Care A. Palliative Care Q1. What is palliative care? Q2. Would legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide undermine the quality of palliative care that patients receive? Q3. Would improving palliative care get rid of patient requests for aid-in-dying? B. Futility Q1. What is medical futility? Q2. Are futility policies good for patients? C. Do-Not-Ressucitate Orders Q1. What is a Do-Not-Resuscitate order (DNR)? Q2. Do Do-Not-Resuscitate orders endanger patients? D. Euthanasia in Practice Q1. Does physician-assisted suicide ensure a good death? Q2. Does euthanasia ensure a good death? Q3. How common is it for physicians to participate in physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, despite the legal prohibition against them? Q4. Should euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide only be allowed for the terminally ill? E. Ethical Concerns Q1. Would legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide destroy patient trust in the medical profession? Q2. Is a physician ever obligated to help a patient die? Q3. What is the medical definition of death? F. Hippocratic Oath Q1. Do euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide violate the Hippocratic Oath? G. Motivations for Hastened Death Q1. Why do patients request physician-assisted death (a.k.a. physician-assisted suicide)? 6. Health Care Implications A. American Healthcare System Q1. Would legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide save money for the American healthcare system? Q2. Are the economic pressures in the American health care system too great to safely legalize euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? Q3. Should healthcare resources be subject to rationing? B. Insurance Considerations Q1. Would legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide save money for insurance companies? Q2. Would insurance companies encourage physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia if those options were legally available? 7. Special Groups A. Disabled Patients Q1. Would legalized euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide endanger people with disabilities? B. Elderly Patients Q1. Would legalized euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide endanger the elderly? C. Poor Patients Q1. Would legalized euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide endanger the poor? D. Minority Patients Q1. Would legalized euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide endanger minority groups? E. Female Patients Q1. Would legalized euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide endanger women? E. Infant Patients Q1. Is euthanasia acceptable for severely ill infants? Q2. What is the Groningen Protocol and why was it drafted?