Amsterdam | Topics for Discussion & Projects

Amsterdam Topics for Discussion

Arguably, both Vernon Halliday and Clive Linley have behaved in morally objectionable ways. Vernon has acted wrongly by publishing scandalous photos of Garmony while Clive's failure to intervene in the assault in the Lake District constitutes a failure to perform a good act. Is Vernon's commission of a bad act morally equivalent to Clive's omission of a good act?

Legalized euthanasia is controversial for many reasons, of which one was mentioned in Amsterdam. Although neither the narrator nor any of the characters took any particular position on the question of the legalization of euthanasia, it has been suggested that some Dutch doctors have abused the euthanasia laws to commit murder. Is assisting someone to commit suicide importantly different from murdering that person? If so, what are the features that distinguish assisted suicide from murder?

One of the reasons that Clive cites in objection to Vernon's publication of the Garmony photos...
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