Where there is hope, there is life: Chinese and Western perspectives on living through terminal illness in China

What is it that prompts the tormented terminally ill to choose life, instead of killing themselves? The thesis here presented is that hope can provide them a positive attitude to remain engaged in life. Many of the peasants and "urban poor" in China are in a dilemma when afflicted with a terminal illness: on the one hand, they can ill afford even pain relief; and on the other, their requests for Physician Assisted Suicide cannot be honored because it is still illegal in China. Interdisciplinary literature review suggests that hope appears to be uniquely suited to deal with the existential concerns of these people. Field work in Southern China also lends support to the thesis.;Chapter One outlines the challenges of providing health care in China. Using interviews conducted by the author, Chapter Two describes some of the ways people live through terminal illness in China, and how they manage to find meaning and hope in their cultural beliefs, strengths and values. Chapter Three explores, from the perspective of the Western philosophical tradition, the question that some of these interviewees are asking: What is my meaning of life? This brings into discussion the views of both the "True world" and "Continental" philosophers.;An interdisciplinary discussion of hope (Chapter Four) suggests that four dimensions of hope, the first virtue in life followed by will, may be uniquely equipped in addressing the needs of the terminally ill. Chapter Five examines the question "Is Fostering Hope Justified in the Terminally Ill?" ethically, existentially, and scientifically. Chapter Six outlines different ways as to how hopefulness can be fostered by caregivers, with due respect given to the unique cultural setting of the afflicted. In conclusion, it appears that when the terminally ill have hope, they remain engaged in life, making Physician Assisted Suicide less of an issue. It should be noted that the author's social location as a Southern Baptist minister, an endorsed chaplain, and a retired physician trained in Western medicine may have lent predispositions and biases to the interpretation of literature and research interviews.