Death and Dying : Opposing Viewpoints, 2003 ed.

228 Pages·2003·35.021 MB·English

by  James Haley

H
Death
and
Dyin
Opposing Viewpoints®
OPPOSING
I
VIEWPOINTS'
SERIES
hton
Boston Public Library
MA 02116
Boston,
p
Death
Dying
Opposing Viewpoints®
James Haley, Book Editor
Daniel Leone, President
Bonnie Szumski, Publisher
Scott Barbour, ManagingEditor
Helen Cothran, SeniorEditor
OPPOSING
VIEWPOINTS'
SERIES
?
GREENHAVEN
PRESS*
THOMSON
*
GALE
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Nopartofthisworkcovered bythecopyrighthereon maybereproducedorused inanyform
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LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Death and—dying/James Haley, bookeditor.
p.cm. (Opposingviewpointsseries)
Includesbibliographical referencesand index.
—
ISBN 0-7377-1223-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 0-7377-1224-4(cloth : alk. paper)
1. Death. 2.Terminal care. 3. Euthanasia.4. Assisted suicide. I. Haley, James,
1968- . II. Series.
R726.8 .D376 2003
306.9—dc21 2002072223
Printed inthe United StatesofAmerica
"Congress shall make
no law. abridging the
. .
freedom of speech, or of
the press."
FirstAmendment to the U.S. Constitution
The basic foundation ofour democracy is the First
Amendment guarantee offreedom ofexpression.
The Opposing Viewpoints Series is dedicated to the
concept ofthis basic freedom and the idea that it is
more important to practice it than to enshrine it.
.. 571
Contents
Why
Consider OpposingViewpoints? 7
Introduction 10
Chapter 1: How Should End-of-Life Care Be
Improved?
Chapter Preface 1
1 Hospice Care Improves End-of-Life Care 1
Joe Loconte
2 Hospice Care Is Not Appropriate for All
Terminally 111 Patients 28
FeliciaAckerman
3. Physician-Assisted Suicide Should Be Legalized 39
PeterRogatz
4. Physician-Assisted Suicide Should Not Be
Legalized 49
Wesley Smith
J.
5. Advance Directives Enable Dying Patients to
Control Treatment 58
DavidKessler
6. Advance Directives Fail to Give Dying Patients
Control over Treatment 64
Peter G. Filene
Periodical Bibliography 69
Chapter 2: How Can People Cope with Death?
Chapter Preface 7
1. The Dying Must Make Spiritual Peace with Death 73
M. Christina Puchalski
2. The Dying Have the Right to Die Angry 80
MarshallB. Kapp
3. Nontraditional Funerals Help the Bereaved Cope
with Death 85
JerriLyons
4. Nontraditional Funerals Do Not Help the
Bereaved Cope with Death 94
Joe Queenan
5. Medical Treatment May Reduce the Pain ofGrief 104
Katherine Shear
6. GriefCannot Be Managed 113
Stephanie Salter
Periodical Bibliography 117
Chapter 3: Should Effort to Expand the Human
Life Span Be Pursued?
Chapter Preface 119
1. Immortality Is an Achieveable and Worthy Goal 121
Frank R. Zindler
2. The Human Life Span Should Not Be Extended 132
Leon R. Kass
3. Cryonic Suspension Can Extend Life Beyond
Death 142
Timothy Leary
4. Nano Nonsense and Cryonics 150
MichaelShermer
Periodical Bibliography 153
Chapter 4: Is There Life After Death?
Chapter Preface 155
1. There Is an Afterlife 157
Susy Smith
2 There Is No Afterlife 165
.
PaulKurtz
3. Near-Death Experiences May Be Glimpses of
an Afterlife 174
Kenneth Ring
4. Near-Death Experiences Have Natural, Not
Spiritual, Causes 182
Barry F Seidman
5. Reincarnation May Lead to Life After Death 190
Tom Shroder
6. Reincarnation Is a Myth 201
PaulEdwards
Periodical Bibliography 209
For Further Discussion 210
Organizations to Contact 212
Bibliography ofBooks 216
Index 219
Why
Consider
Opposing Viewpoints?
"The only way in which a human being can make some
approach to knowing the whole ofa subject is by hearing
what can be said about it bypersons ofevery variety of
opinion andstudying all modes in which it can be looked
at by every character ofmind. No wise man ever
acquired his wisdom in any mode but this."
John StuartMill
In our media-intensive culture it is not difficult to find dif-
fering opinions. Thousands of newspapers and magazines
and dozens of radio and television talk shows resound with
differing points ofview. The difficultylies in decidingwhich
opinion to agree with and which "experts" seem the most
credible. The more inundated we become with differing
opinions and claims, the more essential it is to hone critical
reading and thinking skills to evaluate these ideas. Opposing
Viewpoints books address this problem directly by present-
ing stimulating debates that can be used to enhance and
teach these skills. The varied opinions contained in each
book examine many different aspects ofa single issue. While
examiningthese convenientlyedited opposingviews, readers
can develop critical thinking skills such as the ability to
compare and contrast authors' credibility, facts, argumenta-
tion styles, use of persuasive techniques, and other stylistic
tools. In short, the Opposing Viewpoints Series is an ideal
way to attain the higher-level thinking and reading skills so
essential in a culture ofdiverse and contradictory opinions.
In addition to providing a tool for critical thinking, Op-
posingViewpoints books challenge readers to question their
own strongly held opinions and assumptions. Most people
form their opinions on the basis of upbringing, peer pres-
sure, and personal, cultural, or professional bias. By reading
carefully balanced opposing views, readers must directly
confront new ideas as well as the opinions of those with
whom they disagree. This is not to simplistically argue that
—
—
everyone who reads opposing views will or should
change his or her opinion. Instead, the series enhances read-
ers' understanding of their own views by encouraging con-
frontation with opposing ideas. Careful examination ofoth-
ers' views can lead to the readers' understanding of the
logical inconsistencies in their own opinions, perspective on
why they hold an opinion, and the consideration ofthe pos-
sibility that their opinion requires farther evaluation.
Evaluating Other Opinions
To ensure that this type of examination occurs, Opposing
Viewpoints books present all types of opinions. Prominent
spokespeople on different sides ofeach issue as well as well-
known professionals from many disciplines challenge the
reader. An additional goal ofthe series is to provide a forum
for other, less known, or even unpopular viewpoints. The
opinion ofan ordinary person who has had to make the de-
cision to cut offlife support from a terminallyill relative, for
example, maybe justasvaluable and provide justas much in-
sight as a medical ethicist's professional opinion. The editors
have two additional purposes in including these less known
views. One, the editors encourage readers to respect others'
—
opinions evenwhennotenhanced byprofessional credibil-
ity. It is only by reading or listening to and objectively eval-
uating others' ideas that one can determine whether theyare
worthy of consideration. Two, the inclusion of such view-
points encourages the important critical thinking skill ofob-
jectively evaluating an author's credentials and bias. This
evaluation will illuminate an author's reasons for taking a
particular stance on an issue and will aid in readers' evalua-
tion ofthe author's ideas.
It is our hope that these books will give readers a deeper
understanding of the issues debated and an appreciation of
the complexity of even seemingly simple issues when good
and honest people disagree. This awareness is particularly
important in a democratic society such as ours in which
people enter into public debate to determine the common
good. Those with whom one disagrees should not be re-
garded as enemies but rather as people whose views deserve
careful examination and may shed light on one's own.