To Live and to Die: When, Why, and How, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1973

In the 1960's marked changes occurred throughout the world in philosophies and policies related to man's role in life. These changes, prompted predominantly by extensive increases in knowledge and popula­ tion density, have produced increased pleasures as well as problems. The rising number of people and improved methods of communication and transportation have caused more relationships among people, with their pleasures, competitions, jealousies, conflicts of interest, oppressions, and crimes. Large assortments of drugs have been developed and are easily obtained. There are drugs to speed us up, slow us down, make us sleep, change our perspectives on life, promote propagation of life or prevent it, prolong life or terminate it, and modify the course of life in many ways. Also, numerous mechanical devices have been developed that influence the propagation of life, the termination of life, and the manner in which we live. Many people have changed their overall goals in life, and in par­ ticular have experienced major changes in attitudes and policies applying to sexual activity, marriage, birth control, abortion, welfare, children, old people, criminals, economics, social status, careers, education, euthanasia, and suicide. There also has been marked enlightenment concerning the effect of the chemical and physical status of the brain upon normal and abnormal thinking and behavior.

1 Prologue.- Why live and why die?.- Some guidelines for living and dying.- Quality and quantity of population.- Childhood and adolescence.- Student riots and demands.- Careers.- Anxieties and fears.- Drug use and alcoholism.- Crime.- Equalization of people.- Prejudice and discrimination.- Marriage.- Euthanasia.- Summary.- 2 Metabolism, Mentation, and Behavior.- Some factors in normal mentation.- Neurotransmitters.- Acetylcholine.- Catecholamines.- Serotonin.- Learning and memory.- Sleep.- Coma.- Metabolic disorders associated with abnormal mentation.- Genetic disorders.- Endocrine disorders.- Mental depression and mania.- Schizophrenia.- Summary.- References.- 3 Body, Mind, and Soul.- Conclusions.- References.- 4 On the Origin of Life.- The concept.- The search for an answer.- The past.- Some thermodynamics and kinetics.- Self-replication.- Evolution.- Does life exist elsewhere?.- References.- 5 Genetic Engineering: Present and Future.- Gene action: DNA ? RNA ? protein.- Prevention of the birth of children with genetic defects.- Mutations.- Genetic counseling.- Intrauterine diagnosis and selective abortion.- Indications for intrauterine diagnosis.- Chromosomal disorders.- Enzyme deficiencies.- X-chromosome diseases.- Determination of the sex of the baby.- Artificial fertilization.- Cloning.- Therapy of genetic diseases without changing the abnormal gene.- Gene replacement with normal DNA: true “genetic engineering”.- Preparation of the DNA for gene replacement.- Insertion of the DNA into recipient cells.- Integration of the replacement DNA into the host cell chromosome.- Expression of the new gene in the cell.- Potential applications.- Pitfalls.- References.- 6 The Climax of World Population Growth.- Is world population growth slowing down?.- The alternativepossibilities.- 7 Propagation, Modification, and Termination of Life: Contraception, Abortion, Suicide, Euthanasia.- Quantity and quality of propagation.- Methods of population control.- Sterilization and castration.- Abortion.- Amniocentesis.- Better control of the quantity and quality of propagation.- Promoting reproduction in some instances.- Modification of genetic patterns.- Organ transplantation.- Termination of life.- Suicide.- Euthanasia.- Negative euthanasia.- Positive euthanasia.- Discussion of euthanasia.- a. Religion.- b. Laws.- c. Traditions of society.- d. Physician’s role.- e. The role of the patient and his family.- Conclusions.- References.- 8 An Alternative to the Ethic of Euthanasia.- The ethic of euthanasia.- An ethic of benemortasia.- References.- 9 Ethics and Euthanasia.- The ethical and the pre-ethical.- Elective death.- Means and ends.- 10 Ethical and Moral Problems in the Use of Artificial and Transplanted Organs.- The patient-recipient.- The living donor.- The potential cadaveric (dying) donor.- Families of recipients and donors.- The medical team: physicians and surgeons.- Society.- The future.- References.- 11 Management of the Sick with Kindness, Compassion, Wisdom, and Efficiency.- Medicine as a career.- Settings for optimal practice.- The physician’s management of the patient.- Attitudes and responsibilities of patients.- Death.- References.- 12 Life and Death: Lessons from the Dying.- The meaning of death in the history of man’s life.- The quality of life and the acceptance of death.- References.- 13 The Here and the Hereafter: Reflections on Tragedy and Comedy in Human Existence.- 14 Too Many and Too Few Limitations for Children.- Introduction: The need for historical perspective.- And today.- Some cases in point.- Somerecommendations.- References.- 15 Careers and Living.- Rewards for success.- Selecting goals.- Some general considerations.- Selection of specific goals.- Attaining goals.- Obligations and responsibilities.- The role of leaders.- Summary and conclusions.- 16 Advantages and Disadvantages of Technological Achievements.- The ambivalence of human aspirations.- Agriculture.- Mass production and automation.- Shelters.- Settlements.- The population explosion.- Health care and emotional well-being.- Publishing and reproduction.- Telecommunications.- Changing goals for improved quality of life.- Summary.- References.- 17 Causes and Effects of Excessive Fears, Anxieties, and Frustrations.- The basis for emotion.- Instinct and intelligence.- What is behavior?.- Adaptation to society.- Sensory overload.- Sensory deprivation.- Patterns of behavior involving internal organs.- The stress of change.- Toward a science of man.- Man’s nature and his needs.- Learning man’s place in nature.- Needs for new knowledge.- References.- 18 Causes and Management of Current Anxieties and Frustrations in Universities.- Social change in midcentury America.- Rapid change, confusion, and disillusionment.- The effects of violence.- The university’s response.- The web of morality.- References.- 19 The Social and Psychiatric Aspects of Psychotropic Drug Use.- Sources of irrational drug attitudes.- The socialization of drug use.- The medical socialization of drug use.- Current ideological confusions.- Intrinsic factors in drug misuse.- Prediction of risk.- Conclusion.- 20 Causes and Management of Criminals: Psychiatric Aspects.- Causation—the definitional problem.- Causation—the dilemma of understanding.- Causation—the wish for a simple explanation.- Causation—mental illness and crime.-Management—the atrocious nonsystem of corrections.- Management—principles of correctional management.- Management—effects of institutionalization.- Mangement—the incorrigible few.- Management—outside the walls—the role of the community.- Management—the role of science.- References.- 21 The Criminal Justice System: Crimes, Criminal Processes, and Sentencing.- What is criminal conduct?.- The process of labeling a criminal.- Sentencing the criminal.- Conclusions.- References.- 22 Some Major Guides for Laws.- The recognition of a problem.- What law does.- How the rules are formulated.- Reformation of values and goals.- Promoting goal attainment.- Reconciling professional technology and societal values.- Managing trouble.- Resolving disputes.- Conclusion.- 23 Psychosocial and Religious Aspects of Medical Ethics.- I. Religion and morality.- Background.- Personal versus social morality.- II. The priest and physician.- III. Human values in medical ethics.- The reality of the human.- The integrity of the human.- The unity of the human.- The limitations of the human.- The transcendence of the human.- The summation of human values.- IV. Medical ethics in death and dying.- V. Summary.- References.- 24 Marriage: Whence and Whither?.- A short history of marriage.- Marriage in transition.- Marriage as relationship—the new focus.- Marriage attacked and defended.- Conclusion.- References.- 25 Changing Views on Homosexuality, Transvestism, and Transsexualism.- Homosexuality.- The homosexual spectrum.- Homosexuality: Is it an illness?.- The legal aspects.- Erotic reorientation of the homosexual.- Transvestism.- Varieties of transvestism.- Helping the transvestite.- Transsexualism.- The development of gender identity.- Helping the transsexual through surgical and hormonaltherapy.- Summary and conclusions.- References.- 26 Equality and Inequality: Facts and Values.- 27 Epilogue.- Body, mind, and soul in life, death, and the hereafter.- Some major effects of organ transplantation.- a. Effect of transplanting a normal brain from a woman into a man on his sex interests and actions.- b. Effect of transplanting a heart or brain from a black man into a white man on his reactions of racial prejudice and discrimination.- c. Effect of transplanting a normal brain from a white man into a black man on his reactions of racial prejudice and discrimination.- d. Effect upon abnormal mentation of transplanting a normal brain.- e. Effect upon abnormal mentation of transplanting a normal liver.- f. Effect upon normal mentation of transplanting an abnormal liver.- g. Effect of gonad transplantation upon the progeny.- Creation and propagation of life; population increase.- Too many and too few limitations for children.- Excessive fears, anxieties, and frustrations.- a. Campus anxieties, frustrations, and protests.- b. Careers.- c. Crime.- Technology in the welfare of man.- Marriage.- Sex deviants.- Management of the sick and dying.- Euthanasia.- Need for adjusting guidelines in law and religion.- Equalization of unequal people.- Final summary and conclusions.