Pulling up the runaway: the effect of new evidence on euthanasia's slippery slope.
The slippery slope argument has been the mainstay of many of those opposed to the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. In this paper I re-examine the slippery slope in the light of two recent studies that examined the prevalence of medical decisions concerning the end of life in the Netherlands and in Australia. I argue that these two studies have robbed the slippery slope of the source of its power--its intuitive obviousness. Finally I propose that, contrary to the warnings of the slippery slope, the available evidence suggests that the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide might actually decrease the prevalence of non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia.
Ryan
C J
CJ
Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia.
D001315:Australia; D036262:Empirical Research; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D033101:Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D035761:Wedge Argument