The Sanctity of Human Life and its Protection

by Robert L. Barry

Overview

This work examines the various implications of the Roman Catholic doctrine of the sanctity of life. Divided into three parts, it examines the documents and theory that constitute the sanctity of life, and how the sanctity of life should protect life at the beginning and at the end. The section dedicated to protecting the sanctity of life at the beginning, tracks the historical development of the Catholic position on abortion, and also discusses the church's stand on the premature induction of labor and the harvest of fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes. The section dedicated to protecting the sanctity of life at the end examines the history of Catholic teachings on suicide and discusses terminating life support.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761822196
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/28/2002
Edition description:	ANN
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Robert L. Barry is Associate Director, Newman Center West, Health Sciences Campus, University of Illinois, Chicago. He is the author of Fundamentals of Ethics for Scientists and Engineers (Oxford, 2000), Breaking the Thread of Life (Transaction Press, 1994), and Set No Limits (Illinois, 1991).

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Acknowledgments
Chapter 2 Preface
Chapter 3 The Sanctity of Human Life:
Chapter 4 Imago Dei and the Sanctity of Human Life
Chapter 5 Protecting Human Life at the Beginning:
Chapter 6 Thompson and Abortion
Chapter 7 Early Induction of Labor and Maternal Distress: The Medical Abortion and Craniotomy Controversies
Chapter 8 Pharaoh's Magicians: The Ethics and Efficacy of Human Fetal Tissue Transplants
Chapter 9 Protecting Human Life at its End:
Chapter 10 The Development of the Roman Catholic Teachings on Suicide
Chapter 11 Can One Withhold Tube Feeding from the Comatose Without Intending Death?
Chapter 12 Indirectly Intended Life-Shortening Analgesia: Clarifying the Principle
Chapter 13 Should the Catholic Church Give Christian Burial to Rational Suicides?
Chapter 14 Index

Editorial Reviews

Barry (affiliation not cited) considers issues in medical ethics relating to the sanctity and preservation of human life. Drawing upon Catholic teaching, he raises ethical objections to abortion, the inducement of early labor to save the life of a pregnant woman, human fetal tissue transplants, suicide, and withholding food from comatose patients. He also proposes guidelines for administering analgesia in extreme cases where it might accidentally cause death. Six of the seven chapters were previously published in various journals. The volume is not indexed. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)