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Biomedical subjects

E Vermeersch

Publications and source records attributed to E Vermeersch.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

The Belgian law on euthanasia. The historical and ethical background.

A survey is provided of the genesis of the euthanasia laws in Belgium and the Netherlands, with the intent to provide a clear idea of the concepts involved and of the rationale for their introduction. The role of the Belgian Consultative Committee on Bioethics in the development of the ethical discussion in Belgium is explained as well as the essence of the profound ethical divide between the 'coalition' and the Christian Democrats. After a summary of the basic points of the law, a comparison is made between the Belgian and the Dutch laws and their ethical foundations.

Belgium↗
PubMed1999

Individual rights versus societal duties.

In 'bioethics', the rights to self-determination and to informed consent of the patient are prerequisites to every medical decision: paternalism is no longer a justifiable attitude. Hence, it seems that compulsory vaccination is an unacceptable praxis. Even John Stuart Mill. however, took into account other values: e.g. the duty not to harm others. This article is dedicated to the analysis of the historical development of these values and to their relevance for the ethics of vaccination. The acceptability of coercion is upheld, but no clear-cut answers are given in general: in every case the pros and cons of coercion are to be weighed carefully against each other.

Ethics, Medical↗