Ralf J. Jox

Richard Huxtable

Ruth J. Horn

End-of-life care practices and attitudes in Europe are highly diverse, which is unsurprising given the variety of cultural and religious patterns across this region. The most marked differences are in the legal and ethical stances towards assisted dying, although there are also variations in limitation of life-sustaining treatment and the authority of advance directives to decline such treatment. Palliative care has made a rapid and impressive development in many European countries over the last decade, and alleviating symptoms at the end of life is permitted, even if the drugs used might (in the rare case) not only relieve suffering but also shorten life. Fueled by the politically led process of European harmonization, future policies and laws on end-of-life care might converge. However, at the base of many ethical conflicts there remain deeply rooted differences about promoting the sanctity of life, eradicating suffering, and respecting patients’ autonomous wishes.

Chapter 13. European perspectives on ethics and law in end-of-life care

Ethical and Legal Issues in Neurology

Eric Racine

Orsolya Friedrich

Andreas Wolkenstein

Christoph Bublitz

Neurotechnologies such as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which allow technical devices to be used with the power of thought or concentration alone, are no longer a futuristic dream or, depending on the viewpoint, a nightmare. Moreover, the combination of neurotechnologies and AI raises a host of pressing problems. Now that these technologies are about to leave the laboratory and enter the real world, these problems and implications can and should be scrutinized. This volume brings together scholars from a wide range of academic disciplines such as philosophy, law, the social sciences and neurosciences, and is unique in terms of both its focus and its methods. The latter vary considerably, and range from philosophical analysis and phenomenologically inspired descriptions to legal analysis and socio-empirical research. This diversified approach allows the book to explore the entire spectrum of philosophical, normative, legal and empirical dimensions of intelligent neurotechnologies. Philosophical and legal analyses of normative problems are complemented by a thorough empirical assessment of how BCIs and other forms of neurotechnology are being implemented, and what their measurable implications are. To take a closer look at specific neurotechnologies, a number of applications are addressed. Case studies, previously unidentified issues, and normative insights on these cases complement the rich portrait this volume provides. Clinicians, philosophers, lawyers, social scientists and engineers will greatly benefit from the collection of articles compiled in this book, which will likely become a standard reference work on the philosophy of intelligent neurotechnologies.

Philosophical, Ethical, Legal and Social Implications

Clinical Neurotechnology meets Artificial Intelligence

Es gibt Fragen, die sich niemand gern stellt: Wann dürfen wir Sterben zulassen? Wie wahrt man die Würde des Menschen bis zum Schluss? Doch wir müssen Antworten darauf finden - als Individuen und als Gesellschaft. Zwei Drittel aller Menschen in den reichen Ländern sterben nicht mehr unerwartet, sondern absehbar, unter ärztlicher Begleitung. Ralf J. Jox hat die Sterbepraxis auf deutschen Intensivstationen untersucht und eine große Verunsicherung festgestellt. Denn Ärzte und Angehörige müssen über die »Therapiebegrenzung« entscheiden, wenn der Sterbende dies nicht mehr selbst kann. Aus seiner eigenen Erfahrung als Palliativmediziner und auf wissenschaftlicher Grundlage entwickelt Ralf J. Jox Kriterien für ethisch vertretbare Entscheidungen am Sterbebett. Er plädiert für einen intensiven Dialog aller Beteiligten als besten Weg, der Selbstbestimmung des Patienten gerecht zu werden. Eine ethische Fallberatung, mehr Rechtssicherheit, eine bessere Ausbildung in der Sterbebegleitung und vor allem ein gesellschaftlicher Bewusstseinswandel können dazu beitragen, die Entscheidungen am Lebensende erträglicher zu machen.

Über Entscheidungen am Ende des Lebens

Sterben lassen

Galia Assadi

Georg Marckmann

This book analyzes the reasons for organ shortage and ventures innovative ideas for approaching this problem. It presents 29 contributions from a highly interdisciplinary group of world experts and upcoming professionals in the field. Every year thousands of patients die while waiting for organ transplantation. Health authorities, medical professionals and bioethicists worldwide point to the urgent and yet unsolved problem of organ shortage, which will be even intensified due to the increasing life expectancy. Even though the practical problem seems to be well known, the search for suitable solutions continues and often restricts itself by being limited through disciplinary and national borders. Combining philosophical reflection with empirical results, this volume enables a unique insight in the ethics of organ transplantation and offers fresh ideas for policymakers, health care professionals, academics and the general public.

Challenges and Solutions

Organ Transplantation in Times of Donor Shortage

Ralf J. Jox

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