Euthanasia in the Netherlands American Observations

The Maastricht meeting was intended to educate those of us from\nEngland, Canada, and the United States about the "Dutch model" of legally\ntolerated active euthanasia. Although we certainly gained information, it\nquickly became apparent that the questions voiced by non-Dutch participants\nwere not the result of our misunderstanding practices in the Netherlands but\nwere due to philosophical differences and to concerns about further changes in\nthe practices. Furthermore, the meeting also revealed that the Dutch\nthemselves hold varying views about the contours of their model, its successes\nand its weaknesses, and whether it would be desirable for other countries to\nfollow their lead....The arguments on both sides did not lack for lucidity,\nbut they were largely speculative about the good and bad consequences of\npolicies that are still inadequately evaluated. And even when the specific\nfacts are known about the direct consequences of the policies, it may remain\nimpossible to trace the indirect consequences of one policy or another on the\nphysician-patient relationship, on the sense of personal freedom and security\nin society at large, and on the respect for persons that one policy or another\nfosters in people generally and in health care professionals in\nparticular

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• Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy

  John Keown•Euthanasia, Ethics and Public…•2009

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