Article Text
PDFEuthanasia—a dialogue
Abstract
A terminally ill man requests that his life be brought to a peaceful end by the doctor overseeing his care. The doctor, an atheist, regretfully declines. The patient, unsatisfied by the answer and increasingly desperate for relief, presses the doctor for an explanation. During the ensuing dialogue the philosophical, ethical and emotional arguments brought to bear by both the doctor and the patient are dissected.
- Euthanasia
- physician-assisted suicide
- autonomy
- empathy
- end of life
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Footnotes
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Philip Berry MRCP, is a Medical Senior House Officer at St Thomas' Hospital, London. philaberry{at}hotmail.com
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