Customer Reviews

3 reviews

• Selena Ewing

  "Dr Fleming has fired a lively shot into the euthanasia debate with this book. But the reader will soon realise that the book is much bigger than euthanasia. In fact, it seems to contain a lifetime’s experience in understanding the broader cultural and political context in which medical killing arises. This includes historical perspectives, recent high profile cases, the rise of secularism, faith and reason, the family, church and state, democracy, abortion, eugenics, political processes, and more. Clearly no holding back some hard truths in this book. And as I am not a Catholic, I can observe from a safe distance his apparent challenge to some of Pope Francis’s teachings and to revisionist clergy, from his firm and almost evangelical position of being faithful to the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church.
  If you want to join the public dialogue on any controversial medical topic, this is a very useful book. You’ll find medical, legal, philosophical and theological aspects of euthanasia discussed in great detail. And some true stories.
  For lobbying, social media engagement, or lively private conversations, you’ll find plenty of material. Be warned, though, that successful anti-euthanasia advocates inadvertently make plenty of enemies by insisting that euthanasia is murder and must never be allowed. For whatever reason, this makes some people very, very angry.
  I don’t always agree with him, but he sure can write a page-turner on a controversial topic. The fact is, he obviously loves to argue. I find it amusing that he writes, “It is not the role of the Church to impose, endorse, let alone propose a political ideology based on secularist principles…” and you might think he is politically inert. Yet he will proceed to cheerfully engage with any and all secular ideologies he comes across with wit and intellect. Also, he seems likely to have a beer and a laugh later with his opponents.
  My final thought is that someone needs to go through the book and create a bunch of witty memes for the modern generation to understand Dr Fleming’s work and launch it into cyberspace."
  

• Arlene Macdonald

  Should voluntary euthanasia be legalised? Why? Why not? The current public and political debate in Australia (and elsewhere) mainly lacks any sign of understanding the range of issues which must be considered for a good decision to be made. These include philosophical, historical, medical, ethical and social issues. Most who discuss the matter, whichever side they take, do not have this background which has produced poor debate and consequent decisions. This book provides a major resource as it considers these wider issues in some depth before dealing with the specific matter of voluntary euthanasia.
  
  There are three groups of people who should read this book: those who are in favour of the legalising of voluntary euthanasia, those against, and those who haven’t yet decided.
  
  Unfortunately, this will not be a ‘popular’ book because of the conclusions it draws that voluntary euthanasia should not be legalised and so will be mainly ignored by the very people who would gain the most from reading it. That group will not even consider doing so because they have already formed their view and are convinced they are 100% correct. Many of them simply cannot understand or imagine how anyone could disagree with the idea of properly controlled voluntary euthanasia to allow the ending of unbearable suffering. They ask how anyone with any true sense of compassion could dispute the right of someone else to freely choose to be mercifully put out of their suffering. They consider the reasons must be based on prejudice or misunderstood religious grounds. If they can overcome their certainty (or prejudice) that they are right, then this excellent book should interest them and will enlighten them even if it does not totally convince them.
  
  Fleming demonstrates the absence from the euthanasia debate of any awareness of the seriousness of allowing an exception to the fundamental obligation of the State to protect impartially the lives of the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. The impulse to “disencumber” society of its financial and social obligations to protect those whose “lives are not worth living” is fully discussed as, too, is the propensity of politicians to cloud the debate with their “personal horror stories” and their euphemisms. For Fleming, the real task is to understand the full implications of weakening a cornerstone of a democratic society, the prohibition against killing the innocent.
  
  Dr John Fleming has an academic and practical background in the relevant fields including the history and philosophy of western civilisation, politics, bioethics as well as theology. In this book, he provides a scholarly examination of the reasons for and against the traditional prohibition on the killing of the terminally ill or others with unbearable suffering even should they competently ask to be killed. In this examination of the move to legalise voluntary euthanasia, Fleming explores the philosophy and politics behind this change and some of the important and influential individuals and organisations who promote it, and who seem to have successfully influenced many in society to accept this change as simply giving people “choice”.
  
  Fleming not only explores the “in principle” moral arguments. He identifies the reality of the slippery slope, that many are killed without their knowledge and consent, and that once a society accepts euthanasia for a few hard cases it expands the range of cases where people may be legally killed. These cases include those who cannot consent to be killed because of old age, difficulties with the dominant vernacular language including indigenous Australians, children, the demented elderly, and people with other severe mental or physical disabilities.
  
  He is able to explain and link complex and diverse concepts with clarity which makes this long and detailed book surprisingly readable. He explains his reasoning with clarity showing that arguments against legalising voluntary euthanasia are wide ranging and far from the simple arguments based on a right to self-determination or the perception of compassion.
  
  Dr Fleming’s book is an enlightening and valuable contribution to the debate and should be read by all who are interested in the topic.

• GABRIËL MOENS

  The book carefully defends the sanctity and violence of life and is a powerful argument against society’s adoption of a culture of death.
  
  The book is a real treasure trove, providing an in-depth discussion of the many relevant issues against which the adoption of euthanasia laws are considered and evaluated.
  
  Fleming aptly notes that “Euthanasia as an issue is only a part, but a representative part, that is something to Christianize Western societies in order to free society from the most important ingredients of civilized society.”of the determination of the elite.”

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