Autonomy and dying: Notes about decision-making and “completed life” euthanasia in the Netherlands

Abstract

Euthanasia in the Netherlands is based on the notion that the person seeking assistance to die is able to make an autonomous decision. The objective of this study is to explore this notion, in particular, in the case of “tiredness of life.” The article is mainly based on two qualitative researches and two selected case histories that provide an in-depth insight into the complex process of (not) reaching a clear decision. We found three obstacles that cast doubt over autonomous decision-making in the face of death: (1) Doctors – not patients – have the final say in “measuring” the “amount” of pain and suffering that entitles a person to be granted euthanasia. (2) Human decisions are always taken in a context of complex circumstances involving relatives, friends, and medical professionals. Decisions may therefore be changed, mitigated, or not taken at all. (3) People lose much of their autonomy when they grow old and fragile, and will be increasingly inclined or forced to leave decisions to others.