IDEA5333M
Module Reading List

Unit 3.1 - Is Death a Harm?

Required Reading

Nagel, T. 1979. Mortal questions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 1: Death, pp. 1-10. Available as Online Course Reading [electronic copy available in the library].

Further Reading

Luper, S. (2009). Death. In Edward N. Zalta (ed.).  Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy [electronic resource] (Summer 2009 Edition).

Williams, B. (1973) The Makropulos Case: Reflections on the Tedium of Immortality. In: Williams, B. (Ed.), Problems of the self : philosophical papers, 1956-1972, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available as an Online Course Reading in Minerva

Epicurus (1966). Letter to Menoeceus. In Saunders, J., Ed., Greek and Roman philosophy after Aristotle, New York: Free Press.   

Lucretius (1951). On the Nature of the Universe. Trans. William Ellery Leonard, Project Gutenberg EBook, Book III.

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Unit 3.2 - The Wrongness of Killing

Required Reading

Singer, P. (2011). Practical Ethics. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 71–93 [electronic copy available in the library].

Further Reading

Grisez, G. and Boyle Jr., J. M. (2012). The Morality of Killing: A Traditional View. In: Kuhse, H. and Singer, P. (eds.) A companion to bioethics, Chapter 22 in 1st Edition, Chapter 27 in 2nd Edition. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Available as an Online Course Reading in Minerva

Device, P. E. (1978). The ethics of homicide. London: Cornell University Press.  

Campbell, R. and Collinson, D. (1988). Ending lives. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.  

Glover, J. (2006). The sanctity of life. In: Kuhse, H. & Singer, P. (eds.) Bioethics: An Anthology. London: Blackwell. 266–275.

Maclean, A. (1993). The elimination of morality: reflections on utilitarianism and bioethics, Chapters 6 and 7. London: Routledge.

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Unit 3.3 - Killing and Letting Die 

Required Reading

Nesbitt, W. (1995). Is Killing No Worse that Letting Die? Journal of applied philosophy 12(1): 101-106.
Reprinted in: Kuhse, H., Singer, P. (eds.), Bioethics. Oxford: Blackwell. Chapter 25 in 1st Edition, Chapter 29 in 2nd Edition.

Kuhse, H. (1998). Why Killing is Not Always Worse – and Sometimes Better – Than Letting Die. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 7(4): 371-374.
Reprinted in: Kuhse, H., Singer, P. (eds.), Bioethics. Oxford: Blackwell. Chapter 26 in 1st Edition, Chapter 30 in 2nd Edition [electronic copy available in the library].

Further Reading

Campbell, R. and Collinson, D. (1988). On Killing and Letting Die. Ending lives. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

Dinello, D. (1971). On Killing and Letting Die. Analysis 31(3): 83-86.

Quinn, W. (1989). Actions, Intentions, and Consequences: The Doctrine of Doing and Allowing. Philosophical review 98(3): 287-312.

Rakowski, E. (2001). Taking and Saving Lives. In Harris, J. (ed.), Bioethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Available as Online Course Reading

Scheffler, S. (2004). Doing and Allowing. Ethics 114(2): 215-239.

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Unit 3.4 - Active and Passive Euthanasia 

Required Reading

Brock, D.W. (1992). Voluntary Active Euthanasia. The Hasting Centre Report 22(2): 10-22.

Rachels, J. (1975). Active and Passive Euthanasia. New England Journal of Medicine 292(2): 78-80.

Further Reading

Battin. M. P., et al. (2007). Legal physician-assisted dying in Oregon and the Netherlands: evidence concerning the impact on patients in “vulnerable’ groups. Journal of Medical Ethics 33(10): 591-597.

Biggar. N. (2004). Aiming to Kill. London: Darton, Longman and Todd.  

Coggon. J. (2006). Arguing about Physician Assisted Suicide: a response to Steinbock. Journal of Medical Ethics 32(6): 339-341.

Downing, A.B. and Smoker, B. (eds.) (1986). Voluntary euthanasia: experts debate the right to die. London, Peter Owen.  

Dworkin. G. (1982). Is More Choice Better than Less? Midwest Studies In Philosophy 7(1): 47-61.

Dworkin. G. (2009). Physician Assisted Death: The State of the Debate. In: Steinbock. B. (Ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Bioethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Foot, P. (1978). Euthanasia. In her Virtues and vices. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Gill, R. (ed.) (1988). Euthanasia and the churches. London: Cassell.  

Gormally, L. (ed.) (1994). Euthanasia, clinical practice, and the law. London: Linacre Centre.  

Harris, J. (1985). The value of life. London: Routledge. Chapters 1-4.

Keown, John (ed.) (1995). Euthanasia examined: ethical, clinical and legal perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kuhse, H. and Singer, P. (1985). Should the baby live? : the problem of handicapped infants. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  

Kuhse, H. (1987). The sanctity-of-life doctrine in medicine: a critique. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  

Rachels, J. (1986). The end of life: euthanasia and morality Oxford: Oxford University Press.  

Singer, P. (2011). Practical Ethics, 3rd Edition, Chapter 7: 'Taking Life: Humans'. Cambridge University Press.

Steinbock, B. (1979). The intentional termination of life. In Ethics in science and medicine, 6(1) . New York: Pergamon Press. pp. 59-64. OCR REQUESTED BY LIBRARY (KR 13/03/2019) 

Tangwa, G. B. (1996) ‘Bioethics: An African Perspective’, Bioethics, 10 (3), pp.183-200.

Veatch, R.M. (1989). Death, dying and the biological revolution: our last quest for responsibility. New Haven: Yale University Press.  

Velleman, J. D. (2007). Against the Right to Die. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 17(6): 665-681.

Weir, R. (ed.) (1977). Ethical issues in death and dying. New York: Columbia University Press.  

Weir, R. (1984). Selective nontreatment of handicapped newborns: moral dilemmas in neonatal medicine. New York: Oxford University Press.  

Weir, R. (1989). Abating treatment with critically ill patients: ethical and legal limits to the medical prolongation of life. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  

Young, R. (2010). Voluntary Euthanasia. In: Edward N. Zalta (ed.) The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2010 Edition).

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Unit 3.5 - Suicide and Physician-Assisted Suicide

Required Reading

Hill, D.J. (2011). What it is to commit suicide. In: Ratio 24(2): 192-205

Dworkin, Gerald. "Physician-assisted death: the state of the debate." The Oxford handbook of bioethics. Oxford University Press, New York (2008): 375-392.
Available as Online Course Reading

Further Reading

Aquinas. T. (1271). Summa Theologica, part II, Q64, A5. Available Online.

Batlin, M. and Mayo, D. (eds.) (1981). Suicide: the philosophical issues. London: Peter Owen.  

Battin, M. et al (eds.) (1997). Physician-assisted suicide. Bloomington : Indiana University Press.

Beauchamp, T. (1993). Suicide. In Regan, T. (ed). Matters of Life and Death: New Introductory Essays in Moral Philosophy, 3rd Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Available as an Online Course Reading in Minerva 

Biggar, N. (2004). Aiming to kill: the ethics of suicide and euthanasia. London: Darton, Longman & Todd.  

Campbell, R. and Collinson, D. (1988). Ending lives, Chapters 1-5. Basil Blackwell.

Cholbi, M. (2013). Suicide. In: Edward N. Zalta (ed.) The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2013 Edition)

Cosculluela, V. (1995). The ethics of suicide. New York: Garland Publishing.  

Fairbairn, G. J. (1995). Contemplating Suicide. London: Routledge.

Hume, D. (1783). Of Suicide. Available Online .

Kant, I. (2002). Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals. London: Yale University Press. Available Online.  

Kamisar, Y. (1958). Some Non-Religious Views Against Proposed ‘Mercy Killing’ Legislation. Minnesota Law Review 42(6): 969-1042.

O'Neill. O. (2008). Questions of Life and Death. Lancet 372: 1291-1292.

Oshana, M. (1998) ‘Personal Autonomy and Society’, Journal of Social Philosophy, 29 (1), pp.81-102.

Pence. G. 2004). Classic Cases in Medical Ethics. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Plato. Phaedo. Available Online.

Plato. Laws IX. Available Online.

Scott, R.F. Diaries. Available Online.   

Seneca. Moral Letters to Lucillius, Letter 77: On Taking One's Own Life. Available Online.

Steinbock. B. (2005). The Case for Assisted Suicide: Not (yet) Proven. Journal of Medical Ethics 31: 235-241.

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Unit 3.6 - Slippery Slope Arguments

Required Reading

Govier, T. (1982). What's Wrong with Slippery Slopes? Canadian journal of philosophy. 12(2): 303-316.
Available as Online Course Reading

Beauchamp, T., Childress, J. (eds.) The Principles of Biomedical Ethics, (5th Edition), Oxford Univeristy Press 1989, pp. 144-146 (section entitled ‘Acts, Practices and Slippery Slope Problems’) [electronic copy available in the library].

Further Reading

Williams, B. (1985). Which Slopes are Slippery? In: Lockwood, M. (ed.) Moral dilemmas in modern medicine. London: Oxford University Press.
Available as Online Course Reading

Walton, D. (1992). Slippery slope arguments. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  

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Unit 3.7 - Terminal Sedation and the Doctrine of Double Effect

Required Reading

Battin, M. P. (2008). Terminal Sedation: Pulling the Sheet Over Our Eyes. Hastings Center Report 38(5): 27-30.

Boal, J. S., Smith, P. T. (2009). Line, please. Hastings Center Report 39(2): 4-8.

Foot, P. (2002). The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of Double Effect. In Virtues and Vices Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Thomson, J. J. (1999). Physician-Assisted Suicide: Two Moral Arguments. Ethics 109: 497–518.

Further Reading

Aquinas. T. (1271). Summa Theologica, part II, Q64, A7. Available Online.

Bentham, J. (2000). An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation Batoche Books. Kitchener.

Bratman M. E. (1987). Intention, Plans and Practical Reason Cambridge: Harvard University Press.  

FitzPatrick. W. J. (2012). Intention Permissibility and Double Effect. in Timmons, M. (ed.) Oxford Studies in Normative Ethcs Vol 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press: 97-127.

Glover, J. (1990). Causing Death and Saving Lives. London: Penguin.  

Horn, J. (2005). Intention. In: Honderich, T. Oxford Companion to Philosophy Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mangan, J. (1949). An Historical Analysis of the Principle of Double Effect. Theological Studies 10: 41-61.

McMahan, J. (1994). Revising the Doctrine of Double Effect. Journal of applied philosophy. 11(2): 201–12.

McMahan. J. (2009). Intention Permissibility, Terrorism, and War Philosophical Perspectives 23(1): 345-372.

Meisel, A. et al. (2009). Letter to the Editor, and Reply. Hastings Center report. 39(2): 4-8.

Quinn, W. (1989). Actions, Intentions, and Consequences: The Doctrine of Double Effect. Philosophy and public affairs. 18(4): 334–351.

Scanlon, T.M. (2008). Moral Dimensions: Meaning, Permissibility and Blame. Cambridge MA: Belknap Press.

Thomson, J. J. (1991). Self-defense Philosophy and Public Affairs 20(4): 283-310.

Thomson, J. J. (1999). Physician-Assisted Suicide: Two Moral Arguments. Ethics 109: 497–518.

Walzer, M. (1977). Just and Unjust Wars New York: Basic Books. pp. 151–9. Available as an Online Course Reading in Minerva 

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Unit 3.8 - Intention and Killing

Required Reading

Campbell, R. (1988). Extraordinary Means and Double Effect. In: Campbell, R. Ending lives. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. 153–168. OCR REQUESTED BY LIBRARY (HT 19/11/2021) 

Steinbock, B. (1994). The Intentional Termination of Life. In: Steinbock, B. Killing and letting die, 2nd edition. New York: Fordham University Press. 120-130. OCR REQUESTED BY LIBRARY (HT 19/11/2021) 

Further Reading

Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy [electronic resource]., entry on doctrine of double effect.

Anscombe, G.E.M. (2005). Action, Intention and ‘Double Effect’. In Geach, M., Gormally, L. (eds.), Human Life, Action and Ethics. Exeter: Imprint Academic. 220-225.

Dunn, R. (1992). Intention and Intentional Action. In the Routledge encyclopedia of philosophy.

Duff, R.A. (1973). Intentionally Killing the Innocent. Analysis 34(1): 16-19.

Hart, H.L.A. (2008). Intention and Punishment. In Punishment and Responsibility. Oxford: Oxford University Press. EBook available

Oderberg, D. (2000). Moral theory: a non-consequentialist approach, Chapter 3, section 3.1. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Available as an Online Course Reading in Minerva

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Online Course Readings

Beauchamp, T, (1978) Suicide. FROM: Beauchamp, T, Ethical issues in death and dying. pp.101-105. London: Prentice Hall. Available as online course reading

This list was last updated on 17/01/2022

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