ABSTRACT

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides? looks at several of the most contentious issues in many societies. The book asks, whose rights are protected? How do these rights and protections change over time, and who makes those decisions? This book explores the fundamentally sociological processes which underlie the quest for morality and justice in human societies. The author sheds light on the social movements and social processes at the root of these seemingly personal moral questions. The third edition contains a new chapter on torture entitled, "Taking Life and Inflicting Suffering."

chapter 1|12 pages

A Single Question

part I|110 pages

A Moral System Evolves

chapter 2|19 pages

An Exclusionary Movement is Born

chapter 3|33 pages

Legal Reform To Eliminate Defectives

chapter 4|35 pages

Redrawing The Boundaries of Protected Life

part II|102 pages

The Early Moments and Months of Life

chapter 7|35 pages

Man’s Law or God’s Will

chapter 8|22 pages

Inches From Life

chapter 9|23 pages

Should The Baby Live?

part III|108 pages

The Boundaries of Tolerable Suffering

chapter 10|23 pages

Limits To Tolerable Suffering

chapter 11|27 pages

Alleviating Suffering and Protecting Life

chapter 12|20 pages

God, Duty, and Life Worth Living

chapter 13|36 pages

Assisted Dying

part IV|124 pages

Taking Life and Inflicting Suffering

chapter 14|26 pages

Removing The Protective Boundaries of Life

chapter 15|30 pages

A Campaign To Stop The Executions

chapter 16|25 pages

The Pendulum Swings, The Debate Continues

chapter 17|35 pages

Justifying Torture

chapter 18|6 pages

Lessons Learned