"Culture of death" in the Netherlands: Dutch perspectives
Cohen-Almagor, R.
Issues in Law and Medicine 17(2): 167-179
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 8756-8160 PMID: 11816935 Document Number: 538432
During the summer of 1999, extensive interviews with some of the leading authorities on euthanasia policy were conducted in the Netherlands. They were asked: Daniel Callahan argues that there is a 'culture of death' in the Netherlands. What do you think? The majority of interviewees disagreed with the statement. They said that the Netherlands is not fundamentally different than other countries. If at all, the Dutch culture is open and tolerant, welcomes debates and plurality of views, and physicians are decent people who wish to help their patients, not to kill them. A small minority acknowledged that there is some truth in Callahan's observations, arguing that the Dutch actually do not welcome critique and are quite conservative in their liberal attitude toward euthanasia.