Abstract
In this reflective essay, we explore the concept of generativity and propose it as a more positive interpretation of the experience of ‘completed life’ and its bearing on the wish to die. In 2010, more than 100,000 people in the Netherlands signed a petition requesting an extension of the existing euthanasia legislation. They asked the government to grant euthanasia to older persons who feel tired of life and who regard their lives as complete, in the absence of physical or psychic sickness. Debates about ‘completed life’ euthanasia have continued since then, but the various factions in these debates have been unable to reach consensus or conclusion. In this paper, we analyse the concept of generativity and use this to interpret statements by supporters of ‘completed life’ euthanasia. Next, we disentangle common idioms that people use when they grow older and feel that death is approaching yet still out of reach. The aim of this article is to invite readers to reflect on the wish for ‘completed life’ euthanasia as a meaningful end-of-life reaction.
Highlights
In 2010, 116,871 Dutch citizens signed a petition asking the national government to amend the existing legal framework for euthanasia to create the possibility of a dignified death for older citizens who consider their lives to be complete (Uit Vrije Wil 2010)
This law stipulates in part that, in order to allow euthanasia, there must be unbearable suffering without the prospect of improvement as well as an explicit, voluntary, and wellconsidered request from a critically ill patient who is capable of expressing their will
We explore the concept of generativity through our analysis of the personal narratives of nine people who signed the 2010 petition for completed life euthanasia
Summary
In 2010, 116,871 Dutch citizens signed a petition asking the national government to amend the existing legal framework for euthanasia to create the possibility of a dignified death for older citizens who consider their lives to be complete (Uit Vrije Wil 2010). The petition prompted widespread debate about the ethical, medical, and legal implications of ‘completed life’ euthanasia, both within professional circles and among the Dutch population. This reflexive essay aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion by examining the concept of ‘completed life’ from the perspective of generativity. Experts on the art of growing old often use adjectives like ‘successfully,’ ‘gracefully,’ ‘vitally,’ or ‘actively’ to emphasise the crucial importance of finding meaning in later life – of having a purpose. Following this logic, should we regard those who say that their life has no more meaning as depressed or emotionally unstable? We hope to encourage colleagues in various professions and academic disciplines to consider ‘completion’ as a meaningful experience among older people who believe that continuing to live no longer serves a purpose – either for themselves or for those to whom they were devoted in life
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